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Published on: February 27, 2019
Circulating CD4+CD25+ T regulatory and natural killer T cells in patients with myasthenia gravis: a flow cytometry
A Battaglia1, C Di Schino, A Fattorossi
1Department of Oncological Gynecology, Catholic University, Roma, Italy. cytogyn@rm.unicatt.it
Insights
Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients show activated CD4+ T cells, unlike healthy individuals or cancer patients. Regulatory T (Treg) cells in MG patients, though not differing in number, exhibit an activated status, impacting immune homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cellular Biology
- Autoimmune Diseases
Background:
- Immune homeostasis is maintained by regulatory T (Treg) and natural killer T (NK T) cells.
- Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular junctions.
- Cancer can induce a state of relative immune suppression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the numbers and characteristics of circulating Treg and NK T cells in MG patients.
- To compare immune cell populations in MG patients with healthy subjects and cancer patients.
- To understand the role of T regulatory cells in MG pathogenesis and immune regulation.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to analyze CD4+ T cells expressing CD25 (Treg cells) and NK T cells.
- Treg cells were further characterized by HLA-DR, CD62L, CD45RO, and CD152 expression.
- Immunomagnetic purification of CD4+CD25+ cells was performed for functional assays.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in NK T cell or CD4+CD25bright cell counts across groups.
- MG patients exhibited a higher expression of CD152 on the overall CD4+ T cell compartment, indicating activation.
- Cancer patients showed increased CD4+CD25int cells and a higher proportion of HLA-DR expressing Treg cells, consistent with immune suppression.
Conclusions:
- While Treg cell numbers may not differ, their activation status is altered in MG patients.
- The study highlights distinct immune profiles in MG compared to healthy controls and cancer patients.
- Purified Treg cells from all groups demonstrated anergy and suppressed T cell proliferation, suggesting conserved suppressive function.
Abstract:
The number of circulating CD4+ T cells constitutively expressing CD25 (T regulatory, Treg) and natural killer T (NK T) cells, the two major lymphocyte populations that help to maintain immune homeostasis, was studied in 22 unselected myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, 16 healthy subjects and 24 patients with cancer, the latter as a disease model of a relative immune suppression status. Treg cells were assessed according to their intermediate or high level of expression of CD25, i.e., CD25int and CD25bright, and to the expression of HLA-DR, CD62L, CD45RO and CD152. There were no differences in the number of NK T cells and CD4+CD25bright cells among the three series of individuals. MG patients and healthy subjects had also similar numbers of CD4+CD25int cells. However, the whole CD4+ cell compartment in MG patients was in an activated status, as indicated by the higher level of expression of CD152. By contrast, and consistent with a relative immune suppression status, cancer patients had higher numbers of CD4+CD25int cells and larger proportions of HLA-DR expressing CD4+CD25int and CD4+CD25bright cells. Immunomagnetically purified CD4+CD25+ cells from MG, healthy subjects and cancer patients were anergic and suppressed the proliferative response of other T cells.
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