Detection and functional analysis of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis / 中华口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes of proportion and suppression function of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with aggressive periodontitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Flow cytometric analysis was used to detect the frequency of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of 16 patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis and 17 patients with chronic periodontitis, as well as 17 periodontal healthy controls. Furthermore, CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells and CD-4+ CD-25- T cells were separated from peripheral blood of each enrolling subject using magnetic cell sorting technology. The direct suppression effect of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells on CD-4+ CD-25- T lymphocytes proliferation was performed by the mixed lymphocytes reaction and measured by 3H-thymidine radioactive assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis had a lower frequency of CD4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells (9.71 +/- 4.01)% in the peripheral blood than periodontal healthy controls [(14.72 +/- 3.51)%] and chronic periodontitis patients [(17.01 +/- 5.16 )%], P < 0.05. A significant decrease was found in the suppression function of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells from peripheral blood of patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis when co-cultured with CD-4+ CD-25- T lymphocytes in the proportion of 2 1, 1 1 and 1 2 as compared with chronic periodontitis patients and periodontal healthy controls (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Diminished numbers and decreased suppression function of CD-4+ CD-25+ regulatory T cells were found in patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis.</p>