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Serum soluble CD23 levels and CD23 expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in juvenile chronic arthritis
M Massa1, P Pignatti, M Oliveri
1Laboratorio Biotecnologie e Tecnologie Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Pavia, I.R.C.C.S. Policlinico San Matteo, Italy.
Objective:
To assess the CD23 status in patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), as defined by serum soluble CD23 (sCD23) and the expression of CD23 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Methods:
Serum sCD23 levels were measured by ELISA in 22 patients with systemic JCA (s-JCA), in 40 patients with antinuclear antibody positive pauciarticular JCA (ANA+ p-JCA), and in 38 healthy controls. CD23 expression on T cells, B cells, and monocytes was determined by flow cytometry analysis of double fluorescence staining.
Results:
Serum sCD23 levels were increased in both ANA+ p-JCA and s-JCA; no relation with disease activity or severity was found. In patients with ANA+ p-JCA, serum sCD23 levels were correlated with an increased percentage of B cells expressing CD23, while in patients with s-JCA the serum sCD23 levels were correlated with an increased percentage of monocytes expressing CD23.
Conclusion:
Serum sCD23 levels are elevated both in systemic and ANA+ pauciarticular JCA: different cell subset CD23 expression in s-JCA and ANA+ p-JCA (i.e. monocyte or B cell, respectively) suggests that in pauciarticular JCA CD23 may be implicated in B cell activation and autoantibody production, while in systemic JCA may be involved in monocyte activation and in the release of inflammatory mediators.