Original Article

Decrease in CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD8⁺CD28⁺ T cells in interstitial pneumonitis associated with rheumatic disease

Authors

Akira Katagiri¹, Shinji Morimoto¹, Yutaka Nakiri¹, Souichiro Nakano¹, Akiko Mitsuo¹, Jun Suzuki¹, Hirofumi Amano¹, Kazuhisa Nozawa¹, Masanao Asano¹, Yoshiaki Tokano¹, Hiroshi Hashimoto¹ and Yoshinari Takasaki¹

1. Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan

Received:

7 February 2008

Accepted:

7 May 2008

Published online:

19 June 2008

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Abstract

The expression of CD25 or CD28 on T cells was examined in patients with rheumatic diseases associated with interstitial pneumonitis (IP), in order to investigate the conditions of CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells and CD8⁺CD28^- suppressor T cells. Fifty-five patients with various rheumatic diseases and 23 normal controls were enrolled. CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells of patients with IP were significantly decreased in comparison with non-IP patients, and the ratio of CD8⁺CD28⁺ T cells in patients with IP was significantly higher than that in non-IP patients or normal controls. These results for CD8⁺CD28⁺ T cells were in accord with the decrease in CD8+CD28+ T cells, and may be related to activation-induced CD8⁺CD28⁺ T-cell death. Thus, the abnormality of CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells may be related to the pathogenesis of IP, and the survival and activation of CD8⁺ T cells.

Key words

CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cell - CD8⁺CD28⁺ suppressor T cell - Interstitial pneumonitis - Rheumatic diseases - CD62L