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Possible role of superantigens in inducing autoimmunity in pemphigus patients
Author(s) -
DAR Sajad A.,
DAS Shukla,
BHATTACHARYA Sambit N.,
RAMACHANDRAN Vishnampettai G.,
AHMED Tanzeel,
BANERJEE Basu Dev,
SONTHALIA Sidharth,
SOOD Vikas,
BANERJEA Akhil C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/j.1346-8138.2011.01253.x
Subject(s) - superantigen , immunology , pemphigus , antigen , pemphigus vulgaris , t cell , biology , medicine , immune system
The diagnostic and pathological relevance of anti‐desmoglein autoantibodies in common forms of pemphigus has been well established, and T cells have been shown to play a role in the onset and progression of these diseases. The role of superantigens in provoking polyclonal activation of T cells with many different fine specificities, possibly including autoreactive T cells and T‐cell mediated autoantibody response, is unknown. Further, abnormal T‐cell function may lead to opportunistic infections particularly with Candida . The response of T cells of pemphigus patients to recall antigens of these opportunists is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro response of T lymphocytes from pemphigus patients to common bacterial superantigens such as streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A and staphylococcal enterotoxin B, and recall antigens such as Candida antigen. Changes in CD3 + CD4 + and CD3 + CD8 + T‐cell sub‐populations and expression of naive/memory markers (CD45RA + /RO + ) on different T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Significant elevation in CD3 + CD4 + and expression of the memory (CD45RO + ) markers on these cells was observed both in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus patients, as compared to healthy controls, upon stimulation with streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A and staphylococcal enterotoxin B. However, only memory T cells (CD45RO + ) were significantly increased upon Candida antigen stimulation. Our study suggests that CD4 + memory T lymphocytes may modulate the pathogenic autoantibody response in pemphigus patients, and also emphasizes the possibility that the superantigen‐reactive T cells participate in the triggering of autoimmunity in pemphigus.