CD19+ B cell subsets in the peripheral blood and skin lesions of psoriasis patients and their correlations with disease severity

T lymphocytes are important in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and increasing evidence indicates that B cells also play an important role. The mechanisms of action, however, remain unclear. We evaluated the ratios of CD19+ B cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 157 patients with psoriasis (65 patients with psoriasis vulgaris, 32 patients with erythrodermic psoriasis, 30 patients with arthropathic psoriasis, and 30 patients with pustular psoriasis) and 35 healthy controls (HCs). Ratios of CD19+ B cells in skin lesions were compared with non-lesions in 7 erythrodermic psoriasis patients. The Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) was used to measure disease severity. CD19+ B cell ratios in PBMCs from psoriasis vulgaris (at both the active and stationary stage) and arthropathic psoriasis patients were higher compared with HCs (P<0.01), but ratios were lower in erythrodermic and pustular psoriasis patients (P<0.01). CD19+ B cell ratios in erythrodermic psoriasis skin lesions were higher than in non-lesion areas (P<0.001). Different subsets of CD19+CD40+, CD19+CD44+, CD19+CD80+, CD19+CD86+, CD19+CD11b+, and CD19+HLA-DR+ B cells in PBMCs were observed in different psoriasis clinical subtypes. PASI scores were positively correlated with CD19+ B cell ratios in psoriasis vulgaris and arthropathic psoriasis cases (r=0.871 and r=0.692, respectively, P<0.01), but were negatively correlated in pustular psoriasis (r=-0.569, P<0.01). The results indicated that similar to T cells, B cells activation may also play important roles in different pathological stages of psoriasis.

Study of lymphocyte phenotyping of peripheral blood in HCV-infected patients and its relation to autoimmunity

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is associated with immune mediated abnormalities and B- cell lymphoproliferation. CD81 was identified as an HCV receptor on B-lymphocytes. The antigen CD19 is associated with CD81 B-cells at different stages of maturation. Expression of CD5 lymphocytes was associated with non- HCV related autoimmune disorders. Therefore we try to evaluate the clinical significance of B-lymphocyte phenotyping of peripheral blood [PB] in HCV- infected patients [age range 10-16 Years] with and without the autoimmune markers rheumatoid factor [RF], antinuclear antibody [ANA], and anti-double stranded DNA [Anti ds DNA], where PBCD5, CD19 and CD81 expression were determined in 20 EDTA blood samples of healthy persons [group I] and 40 blood samples of HCV- infected persons [25 with negative autoimmune markers [group IIa] and 15 with positive autoimmune markers [group IIb]]. Age [10-16 years]. Flow cytometry was used to estimate percentage of antigen expression of CD5, CD19 and CD81 over B-lymphocytes. Indicated that CD5 expression was significantly increased in group IIb than group IIa and group I [28 +/- 3.2%, 25 +/- 4.2% and 13.3 +/- 5.8% respectively p < 0.0001]. The same increase occurs in the mean values for CD19 [group I 3.5 +/- 1.6%, group IIa 14 +/- 2.5% and group IIb 23 +/- 3.1% p< 0.0001], while CD81 mean values were group I 50 +/- 28%, group IIa 78 +/- 16% and group IIb 92 +/- 12%. Increased expression of CD5, CD19 and CD81 on B-lymphocytes in HCV- infected patients with higher values with positive autoimmune markers, suggests the high clinical significance of peripheral blood B-lymphocyte phenotyping as a predictive and diagnostic tool for autoimmune serconversion in HCV-infected patients. Also it can be a prognostic guide for successful treatment or highlight for new antiviral and autoimmune treatment

A flowcytometric study of CD4+ & CD19+ cell lymphopenia in patients with alopecia areata.

Twenty five patients with alopecia areata and 20 healthy controls were studied by flowcytometry employing direct two colour immunofluorescence in erythrocyte lysed whole blood. A significant reduction was observed in helper/inducer (CD4+) lymphocytes (29.4 +/- 7.4 vs 39.45 +/- 8.0, P < 0.01) and B (CD 19+) lymphocytes (11.04 +/- 6.57 vs 15.0 +/- 5.05, P < 0.01) in comparison with healthy controls. Decrease in T-lymphocytes (CD3+) and suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8+) was not significant and activated (HLADR+) lymphocytes and natural killer cells (CD16+ and CD56+) were within normal limits. Our findings suggest a significant T helper (CD4+) and B (CD19+) cell lymphopenia in alopecia areata.