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Decreased CD3+CD16+ natural killer‐like T‐cell percentage and zeta‐chain expression accompany chronic inflammation in haemodialysis patients
Author(s) -
ELEFTHERIADIS THEODOROS,
KARTSIOS CHARALAMBOS,
YIANNAKI EFI,
ANTONIADI GEORGIA,
KAZILA POLIZO,
PLIAKOS KONSTANTINOS,
LIAKOPOULOS VASSILIOS,
MARKALA DIMITRA
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
nephrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1440-1797
pISSN - 1320-5358
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2008.01041.x
Subject(s) - cd16 , immune system , flow cytometry , t cell , cell , cd3 , natural killer cell , medicine , t cell receptor , immunology , inflammation , cluster of differentiation , cd8 , microbiology and biotechnology , cytotoxic t cell , chemistry , biology , in vitro , biochemistry
SUMMARY Aim: Clinical and experimental data indicate a deficient immune response in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Natural killer‐like (NKL) T cells express on their surface both the T‐cell antigen receptor (TCR) and a diverse set of NK‐cell receptors (NKR) and share properties of both T cells and NK cells. ζ‐Chain phosphorylation is an early event that follows TCR activation or some NKR activation. The ζ‐chain of both T cell and NK cells is downregulated in many chronic inflammatory states, HD included. In the present study, NKL T‐cell percentage and ζ‐chain expression in HD patients were evaluated. Methods: Thirty‐three stable HD patients and 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled into the study. NKL T‐cell percentage and NKL T‐cell ζ‐chain mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) were evaluated with flow cytometry. The inflammatory markers C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6 and tumour necrosis factor‐α were measured in the serum by means of enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results: All the evaluated markers of inflammation were increased in HD patients. In these patients, NKL T‐cell percentage (1.71 ± 1.69% vs 3.94 ± 3.86%) and ζ‐chain MFI (3.66 ± 2.79 vs 7.03 ± 7.91) were decreased. Conclusions: NKL T‐cell percentage and ζ‐chain expression is decreased in HD patients. Taking into consideration the continuously increasing age of the HD patients and that normally NKL T‐cell numbers increase with age counteracting the impaired T‐cell and NK‐cell function accompanying advancing age, the above NKL T‐cell disturbances could contribute to the impaired immune response in this population. Measures towards alleviating chronic inflammation could partially restore NKL T‐cell impairment.