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Indications for a Disturbed Peripheral T-Cell Homeostasis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA): Absent Expansion of CD28– T-Cells and No Decrease of Naive T-Cells in Cytomegalovirus-positive
Patients with JIA
MARTINA PRELOG, NORA SCHWARZENBRUNNER, MICHAELA SAILER-HOECK, HANNELORE KERN, CHRISTIAN KOPPELSTAETTER, REINHARD WURZNER, LOTHAR BERND ZIMMERHACKL, and JUERGEN BRUNNER
ABSTRACT. Methods. T-cell subpopulations were analyzed from 24 patients with JIA and 61 healthy age-matched controls by fluorescence activated cell sorting. Relative telomere length (RTL) in CD4+CD28+CD45RA+ (naive) T-cells was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results. Although confirming known data of expansions of CD28– T-cells and tendency of decreasing naive T-cells in CMV-seropositive healthy individuals, our findings did not show a marked influence of latent EBV or CMV infection on CD28-expressing T-cells in patients with JIA. In contrast, CMV was an independent factor for loss of CD28, regardless of age, in healthy controls. Irrespective of serology results for CMV or EBV, patients with JIA showed signficantly decreased RTL compared to age-matched controls. Regression lines for RTL and age revealed decreased RTL with advancing age in CMV-positive and EBV-positive subjects. The evidence that findings for CMV-positive JIA patients did not resemble the findings of healthy CMV-positive controls, namely expansion of CD28– T-cells and decrease of naive T-cells, may support the theory of a disturbed peripheral T-cell homeostasis in JIA. Conclusion. Diminished mechanisms of T-cell homeostasis and premature aging of the immune system may play a role in the pathogenesis of JIA. (First Release Feb 15 2008; J Rheumatol 2008;35:520-7) Key Indexing Terms:
T-CELLS
From the Departments of Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Hygiene, Microbiology and Social Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. Supported by Medical Research Fund Tyrol MFF 105, Tyrolean Science Fund TWF 2006-2-425, and the Dr. Kolassa Rheumatology Research Award, all granted to Dr. Prelog. M. Prelog, MD; N. Schwarzenbrunner, MD; M. Sailer-Hoeck, MD; H. Kern; L.B. Zimmerhackl, MD; J. Brunner, MD, Department of Pediatrics; C. Koppelstaetter, MD, Department of Internal Medicine; R. Wurzner, MD, Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Social Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck. Address reprint requests to Dr. M. Prelog, Department of Pediatrics, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. E-mail: Martina.Prelog@i-med.ac.at Accepted for publication October 30, 2007. |
