IL-7Rαlow memory CD8+ T cells are significantly elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Rheumatology, 06/08/2012
Clinical Article
Kim JS et al. – The findings show that SLE patients have increased IL–7Rαlow effector memory (EM) CD8+ T cells, possibly contributing to tissue damage through 2B4–mediated cytotoxicity.
Methods- The authors used flow cytometry to measure the expression of 2B4 on IL–7Rαhigh and IL–7Rαlow EM CD8+ T cells as well as the frequency of these cell populations in the peripheral blood of healthy individuals and patients with SLE.
- Also, 2B4–mediated cytotoxicity was quantitated in IL–7Rα high and IL–7Rα low EM CD8+ T cells using target cells with CD48 antigen.
- The authors found that IL–7Rαhigh EM CD8+ T cells had higher levels of 2B4 expression compared with IL–7Rαlow EM CD8+ T cells.
- Triggering 2B4 enhanced the cytotoxic function of IL–7Rαlow EM CD8+ T cells against target cells.
- The authors also noticed that patients with SLE had an increased frequency of IL–7Rαlow EM CD8+ T cells that correlated with disease manifestation.
