Effector T-cells are expanded in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with high disease activity and damage indexes

Abstract

Background and objectives

T-cell activation may be one of the pathogenic mechanisms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). After repeated antigenic stimulation, T-cells undergo different modifications, leading to the differentiation into effector memory T-cells (CCR7−CD45RA−) and terminally differentiated effector memory (TDEM) T-cells (CCR7−CD45RA+). Similarly, down-modulation of CD28 may lead to the expansion of the CD28− T-cells, a subpopulation with peculiar effector activities. The aim of this study was the characterization of T-cell phenotype in a cohort of patients with SLE according to disease activity and damage index.

Materials and methods

Phenotypic analysis of peripheral blood T lymphocytes of 51 SLE patients and 21 healthy controls was done by flow-cytometry. SLE disease activity was evaluated by SLE Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and damage by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology damage index (SDI). The variations between different groups were evaluated by Mann–Whitney test. Bonferroni correction was applied to adjust for multiple comparisons (p^adj). Spearman rank test was used to evaluate the correlations between quantitative variables.

Results

CD4+ lymphopenia was found among SLE patients. Patients showed a trend for a higher percentage of TDEM among the CD4+ T-cell subpopulation in comparison with healthy controls (p = .04). SLE patients were divided into two groups according to disease activity: patients with SLEDAI-2K ≥ 6 (n = 13) had a higher percentage of circulating CD4+ T-cells with CD28− phenotype (p^adj= .005) as well as those with an effector memory (p^adj= .004) and TDEM (p^adj= .002) phenotype and a trend of decrease of regulatory T-cells (TREGs) (p = .02), in comparison with patients with low disease activity (n = 38). Patients with damage (SDI ≥ 1) tended to show an expansion of TDEM among CD4+ T-cells as compared with patients with no damage (p = .01). In SLE patients an inverse correlation was found between the percentages of TREGs and those of TDEM (p < .01) or CD4 + CD28− (p < .01) T-cells.

Conclusions

CD4+ T-cell subpopulations displaying phenotype characteristics of effector lymphocytes are proportionally expanded in patients with active SLE and a higher damage index. These findings may suggest a role of effector T-cells in the pathogenesis of the disease and in the mechanisms of damage in SLE.