Clinical significance of inducible co stimulator and CD28 co-expression on peripheral T subsets in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Objective To investigate the level and clinical significance of inducible co stimulator (ICOS) and CD28 molecules co expression on peripheral CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Methods The levels of ICOS and CD28 co expression on peripheral CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes in 51 patients with SLE and 30 normal individuals were detected by three color flow cytometry and the results were analyzed along with disease activity, disease stage, level of anti dsDNA antibody and immunoglobulin in serum of SLE patients. Results Compared with normal individuals, the percentages of CD28 - ICOS + cells on the peripheral CD4 + T cells in patients with SLE during active and stable stages were significantly increased, but there was no significant difference between the two group patients. The percentages of CD28 +ICOS + and CD28 -ICOS + cells on the peripheral CD8 + T cells of SLE patients during active stage were significantly increased; In the same patients, the percentages of CD28 +ICOS + cells on peripheral CD4 + and CD8 + T cells and the percentages of CD28 -ICOS + cells on CD8 + T cells during active disease stage were significantly increased compared with those in stable disease stage; the percentage of CD28 +ICOS + cells on the peripheral blood CD4 + T cells in untreated primary patients was higher than those with disease relapse; the percentages of CD28 +ICOS + cells on the peripheral CD4 + T cells and CD28 -ICOS + cells on CD8 + T cells were significantly increased in patients with serum anti dsDNA antibody(+) and patients with aberrantly high content of immunoglobulin compared with those with serum anti dsDNA antibody( ) and patients with normal content of immunoglobulin, respectively. Conclusion The level of ICOS and CD28 co expression on the peripheral blood CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in patients with SLE had potential relationship with disease activity, disease stages and clinical manifestations. [