Expression of T cell subgroup and cytokines in the peripheral blood of patients with silicosis and their significance / 中国综合临床

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the expression of peripheral T cell subgroup (CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+CD25 high regulatory T cells) and the level and significance of serum cytokines in patients with silicosis.Methods One hundred and six cases patients with silicosis were collected in the Fifth People''s Hospital of Suzhou as study subjects and 56 healthy subjects as control group.Flow cytometry was used to detect the peripheral CD3+,CD4+,CD8+ and CD4+CD25 high regulatory T cells (Treg) of the patients and the control group,while chemiluminescence immunoassay was utilized to measure the peripheral serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R),interleukin 6 (IL-6),interleukin 8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α).Results (1) The percentages of peripheral CD3+,CD4+ and CD8+ in the silicosis group were all lower than those in the control group (t=3.755,3.828,2.347,P<0.05);the percentage of Treg cells was higher in the silicosis group than in the control group,the difference was statistically significant (t=-8.345,P<0.05).Compared with the control group,based on the one-way analysis of variance,the differences in CD3+,CD4+,CD8+ and CD4+CD25 high cells were all statistically significant (F=5.620,8.007,26.71,P<0.05);in the silicosis group,the percentage of CD4+ T cells was lower in stage III than in stage I (t=3.424,P<0.05);compared with the control group,the percentages of Treg cells in the silicosis group were lower in all stages (t=-7.934,-9.445,-5.096,P<0.05).(2) The levels of peripheral sIL-2R,IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-α in the silicosis group were higher than those in the control group,the difference were statistically significant(t=-6.952,-4.506,-2.551,-5.670,P<0.05);compared with the control group,based on the one-way analysis of variance,the differences in sIL-2R,IL-6 and TNF-α in all stages were statistically significant (F=11.03,11.31,13.22,P<0.0001);the sIL-2R was higher in patients with stage III silicosis than that of stage I (t=-2.882,P<0.05);IL-6 was significantly higher in stage II and III silicosis group than that of stage I group (t=-3.022,-2.632,P<0.05),and TNF-α was higher in patients with stage II silicosis than patients with stage I silicosis (t=-2.322,P<0.05).(3) The level of peripheral Treg cells was negatively correlated with the percentages of CD3+ and CD8+ cells in patients with silicosis (r=-0.357,-0.508,P<0.05);sIL-R2 was positively correlated with IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-α,respectively (r=0.483,0.199,0.392,P<0.05);TNF-α was positively correlated with IL-6 and IL-8,respectively (r=0.338,0.338,P<0.05).Conclusion Patients with silicosis have abnormal expression in peripheral T cell subgroups,significantly increased Treg cell and dysfunctional cytokines,which may be associated with the pathogenesis of silicosis,the detection of these indicators may have significance of diagnosis,staging,disease monitoring and prognosis of the diseases.