Expression and significance of CD39 on regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of patients following liver transplantation / 中华肝胆外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the clinical significance of CD39 on regulatory T (Treg) cells in the peripheral blood (PB) of patients following liver transplantation and to evaluate the relationship between the levels of CD39+ Treg cells in the PB and acute rejection.Methods A prospective study was conducted to compare the CD39+ Treg cells from 76 liver transplant patients with those coming from 20 age-matched healthy individuals.The PB samples were collected within one year at different time points post-transplant.Blood samples and liver biopsies were collected at the time when acute rejection was diagnosed.The percentages of CD39 within the CD4+ CD25+ T cells were measured by using flow cytometry.The liver transplant patients were classified into two groupsthe rejection group which consisted of 17 patients who an episode of acute rejection,and the non-rejection group consisted of the remaining 59 patients who had no acute rejection episodes.The percentages of CD39 within the CD4 + CD25 + T cells and the inhibition function of the CD39+ Treg cells were compared between the two liver transplant groups.Results The percentages of CD39 within the CD4+ CD25+ cells were significantly lower in the rejection group during acute rejection as compared to the non-rejection group (P ＜ 0.05).The percentages of CD39 within the CD4 + CD25 + cells were negatively correlated with the Rejection Activity Index (r =-0.86,P ＜ 0.05).The inhibition rate regarding the CD4+ CD25+ CD39+ Treg cells in patients with acute rejection was significantly lower than those without rejection (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The percentages of CD39 within the CD4+ CD25+ T cells were significantly lower in the rejection group during acute rejection and were negatively correlated with the RAI.The inhibition rate regarding the CD4+ CD25+ CD39+ Treg cells in patients with acute rejection was significantly lower than those without rejection.