Increased proportions of inflammatory T cells and their correlations with cytokines and clinical parameters in patients with ankylosing spondylitis from northern Sweden Show others and affiliations
2022 (English) In: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, ISSN 0300-9475, E-ISSN 1365-3083, Vol. 96, no 3, article id e13190Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune disease affecting parts of the skeletal structure in particular. Previously increased levels of the inflammatory cell types Th17, Th22, Tc17 and Tc22 cells have been shown to be associated with AS. Here, we analysed the levels of inflammatory T cell subsets, related cytokines and clinical characteristics of AS patients vs controls from northern Sweden. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from 50 AS patients and 50 matched controls were short term stimulated with PMA/Ionomycin, stained and analysed by flow cytometry. Plasma levels of Interleukin (IL)-17, IL-22, IL-10 as well as clinically relevant markers were determined. Compared to male controls, male AS patients showed 1.5- to 2-fold increases of Th17 (P = .013), Th22 (P = .003) and Tc22 (P = .024) among CD45+CD3+ lymphocytes. Plasma IL-22 levels correlated with the Tc17 proportion in male patients (Rs = 0.499, P = .003) and plasma IL-10 levels were inversely correlated with Tc17 among all patients (Rs = −0.276, P = .05). Male patients with syndesmophytes showed significantly higher Th17 proportions (P = .038). In female AS patients, Tc22 was negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (high sensitivity) (hsCRP) (Rs = −0.573, P = .016). We confirmed increased proportions of inflammatory T cells and correlations with relevant cytokines from male AS patients. The correlation between Th17 and syndesmophytes supports a role of Th17 in the pathogenic process.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages John Wiley & Sons, 2022. Vol. 96, no 3, article id e13190
Keywords [en]
ankylosing spondylitis, radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, T cells
National Category
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine Clinical Medicine
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-196537 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13190 ISI: 000804576100001 PubMedID: 35506752 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85131064416 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-196537 DiVA, id: diva2:1669470
Funder Swedish Research Council, 2016‐02035 Region Västerbotten, ALFVLL‐640251 Stiftelsen Konung Gustaf V:s 80-årsfond, FAI‐2017‐0454 Swedish Rheumatism Association 2022-06-142022-06-142025-02-20 Bibliographically approved