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Reduction of peripheral natural killer cells in patients with SAPHO syndrome
D. Xu1, X. Liu2, C. Lu3, J. Luo4, C. Wang5, C. Gao6, J. Xie7, X. Li8
- Department of Rheumatology, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Rheumatology, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
- Department of Rheumatology, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
- Department of Pathology, Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
- Department of Rheumatology, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
- Department of Rheumatology, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China. lxf_9859@sxmu.edu.cn
CER10803
2019 Vol.37, N°1
PI 0012, PF 0018
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PMID: 29998837 [PubMed]
Received: 10/09/2017
Accepted : 18/12/2017
In Press: 25/06/2018
Published: 18/01/2019
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
Little is known about the roles of peripheral immune cell subsets in synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome. Up to now, just a few studies have focused on this issue. We aimed to analyse the distribution and phenotype of T cell subsets and natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood of patients with SAPHO syndrome.
METHODS:
The proportion and absolute counts of circulating immune cells were assessed in 19 patients diagnosed as SAPHO syndrome and 19 healthy controls. CD4+T cell subsets were also analysed in 9 untreated SAPHO patients and 9 healthy volunteers by flow cytometry.
RESULTS:
The proportion and absolute counts of NK cells were significantly reduced in SAPHO patients in comparison with the controls (proportion, 10% vs. 18%, p<0.001; absolute counts, 231/μl vs. 307/μl, p=0.014). Conversely, the proportion and absolute counts of Th17 cells in untreated SAPHO patients were significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (proportion, 1.49% vs. 0.93%, p=0.004; absolute counts, 14.36/μl vs. 5.14/μl, p<0.001). Similarly, Th17/Th1 cells were significantly increased (proportion, 0.45% vs. 0.33%, p=0.024; absolute number, 5.47/μl vs. 1.98/μl, p<0.001), but there was no significant difference between the percentage and number of Treg cells in patients with SAPHO syndrome and healthy controls. Thus, the ratio of Th17/Treg was increased in SAPHO patients (0.68 vs. 0.17, p=0.004).
CONCLUSIONS:
Our data suggested that the immune inflammation in SAPHO patients may be related to the depletion of NK cells and the imbalance of Th17 and Treg cells. A reduction of peripheral NK cells may exacerbate the disease progression by not being inhibited Th17 cells.
