Study on CD19 and CD27 of B lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its correlation / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study B lymphocyte subsets(na(?)ve B cells,memory B cells and plas- mablasts)of peripheral blood in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and its relationship with autoantibod- ies and clinical manifestation.Methods Blood samples and clinical data of 60 patients with RA were enrolled into this study.They were divided into three groupsactive,inactive and refractory RA based on clinical mani- festations and 24 healthy controls were included.CD19 and CD27 of B cells in peripheral blood of RA patients and healthy controls were detected using flow cytometry at single-cell level.Frequence of na(?)ve B cells (CD19~+CD27~-),memory B cells(CD19~+CD27~(dim)),plasmablasts(CD19~+CD27~(high))and average fluorescence in- tensity of CD19 were analyzed,and their relationship with clinical manifestations and rheumatoid factor(RF), anti-typeⅡcollagen(anti-CⅡ),anti-cyclic citrullianted peptide(CCP)antibodies were investigatied.Results Frequence of na(?)ve B cells and plasmablasts in peripheral blood of patients with RA was increased compared with normal control.In contrast,memory B cells in patients with RA were decreased.The na(?)ve B cells subset in inactive and refractory RA was higher than that of healthy controls(P＜0.05),and the memory B cells subset in those groups was lower than that of healthy controls(P＜0.05).The plasmablasts in active and refractory groups of RA were higher than those of healthy controls(P＜0.05).The average fluorescence intensity of CD19 in peripheral blood in patients with RA was positively correlated with ESR,C-reactive protein(CRP),healthy assessment questionaire(HAQ),and plasmablasts was positively correlated with arthrocele index.Na(?)ve B cells,memory B cells and plasmablasts subsets had no relation with RF,anti-CⅡand anti-CCP antibodies. Conclusion B cell subsets in peripheral blood of patients with RA are significantly abnormal,characterized by expanded naive B cells and plasmablasts but diminished memory B cells.Plasmablasts are increasesd in active and refractory groups of RA,and have positive correlation with swollen joint index.B cells may play an important rote in the pathogenesis of RA.