Open AccessImbalance of CD4 + lymphocyte subsets in patients with mixed connective tissue disease
Author(s) -
BECKER H.,
LANGROCK A.,
FEDERLIN K.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb03044.x
Subject(s) - immunology , lymphocyte subsets , connective tissue , mixed connective tissue disease , disease , connective tissue disease , lymphocyte , medicine , t lymphocyte , autoimmunity , autoimmune disease , immune system , pathology , t cell , antibody
SUMMARY CD4 + (helper/inducer) T lymphocyte subsets were studied in the peripheral blood from patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) by double‐labelling immunofluorescence. The proportion of CD4 + CD45RA + cells was higher ( P < 0·01) when compared with controls, whereas CD4 + CD29 + cells were markedly diminished ( P < 0·001). CD4 + CD29 + cells were lower than in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis who were studied in parallel. Upon stimulation with phytohaemagglutinin, CD4 + cells from MCTD patients showed a strong reactivity to acquire the CD29 + phenotype. Expression of high levels of CD29 and other adhesion molecules might lead to facilitated localization of CD4 + cells to inflamed tissue. It is suggested that an increased responsiveness of CD4 + cells to activation signals in vivo and accumulation of CD4 + CD29 + cells at tissue sites could result in depletion of this cell subset in the peripheral blood of patients with MCTD.