Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease that presumably arises consequent to loss of immune tolerance to autoantigen in thyroid. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are considered to play a vital role in maintaining the immune balance, as they own intensive suppressive function. This study was un...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yifang Hu, Lijuan Zhang, Huanhuan Chen, Xiaoyun Liu, Xuqin Zheng, He Shi, Lin Jiang, Dai Cui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:International Journal of Endocrinology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/5368473
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850107172561616896
author Yifang Hu
Lijuan Zhang
Huanhuan Chen
Xiaoyun Liu
Xuqin Zheng
He Shi
Lin Jiang
Dai Cui
author_facet Yifang Hu
Lijuan Zhang
Huanhuan Chen
Xiaoyun Liu
Xuqin Zheng
He Shi
Lin Jiang
Dai Cui
author_sort Yifang Hu
collection DOAJ
description Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease that presumably arises consequent to loss of immune tolerance to autoantigen in thyroid. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are considered to play a vital role in maintaining the immune balance, as they own intensive suppressive function. This study was undertaken to analyze numbers of Tregs and their expressions of Helios and PD-1 in HT patients. It also aimed to explore the relationship of these with thyroid function and specific autoantibodies. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were extracted from blood of 20 healthy controls (HC) and 42 HT patients with varying thyroid functions (10 overt hypothyroidism, 12 subclinical hypothyroidism, and 20 euthyroidism). We performed flow cytometry analysis in PBMCs to detect CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs and their subsets, including CD45RO+Foxp3high activated Treg cells (aTregs), CD45RO-Foxp3low resting Tregs cells (rTregs), and CD45RO+Foxp3low secreting Treg cells (sTregs), as well as the expression of Helios and PD-1 on these cells. The results showed that the percentage of Tregs, aTregs was significantly lower in HT patients and it showed inverse correlation to thyroid function states, in comparison with these in healthy controls. In addition, patients with HT showed decreased expression of Helios in aTregs, while having increased expression of PD-1 in Tregs and sTregs. The levels of Tregs, aTregs, and Helios expressing aTregs were all negatively correlated with antithyroid antibodies. In conclusion, the deficiency of Tregs frequency and aberrant expressions of Helios and PD-1 may possibly contribute to thyroid immune damage in HT.
format Article
id doaj-art-4c339b82f26f4c1cbf612a319a03bca0
institution OA Journals
issn 1687-8337
1687-8345
language English
publishDate 2019-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series International Journal of Endocrinology
spelling doaj-art-4c339b82f26f4c1cbf612a319a03bca02025-08-20T02:38:39ZengWileyInternational Journal of Endocrinology1687-83371687-83452019-01-01201910.1155/2019/53684735368473Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto ThyroiditisYifang Hu0Lijuan Zhang1Huanhuan Chen2Xiaoyun Liu3Xuqin Zheng4He Shi5Lin Jiang6Dai Cui7Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology, Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, ChinaHashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease that presumably arises consequent to loss of immune tolerance to autoantigen in thyroid. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are considered to play a vital role in maintaining the immune balance, as they own intensive suppressive function. This study was undertaken to analyze numbers of Tregs and their expressions of Helios and PD-1 in HT patients. It also aimed to explore the relationship of these with thyroid function and specific autoantibodies. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were extracted from blood of 20 healthy controls (HC) and 42 HT patients with varying thyroid functions (10 overt hypothyroidism, 12 subclinical hypothyroidism, and 20 euthyroidism). We performed flow cytometry analysis in PBMCs to detect CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs and their subsets, including CD45RO+Foxp3high activated Treg cells (aTregs), CD45RO-Foxp3low resting Tregs cells (rTregs), and CD45RO+Foxp3low secreting Treg cells (sTregs), as well as the expression of Helios and PD-1 on these cells. The results showed that the percentage of Tregs, aTregs was significantly lower in HT patients and it showed inverse correlation to thyroid function states, in comparison with these in healthy controls. In addition, patients with HT showed decreased expression of Helios in aTregs, while having increased expression of PD-1 in Tregs and sTregs. The levels of Tregs, aTregs, and Helios expressing aTregs were all negatively correlated with antithyroid antibodies. In conclusion, the deficiency of Tregs frequency and aberrant expressions of Helios and PD-1 may possibly contribute to thyroid immune damage in HT.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/5368473
spellingShingle Yifang Hu
Lijuan Zhang
Huanhuan Chen
Xiaoyun Liu
Xuqin Zheng
He Shi
Lin Jiang
Dai Cui
Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis
International Journal of Endocrinology
title Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis
title_full Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis
title_fullStr Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis
title_short Analysis of Regulatory T Cell Subsets and Their Expression of Helios and PD-1 in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis
title_sort analysis of regulatory t cell subsets and their expression of helios and pd 1 in patients with hashimoto thyroiditis
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/5368473
work_keys_str_mv AT yifanghu analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis
AT lijuanzhang analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis
AT huanhuanchen analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis
AT xiaoyunliu analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis
AT xuqinzheng analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis
AT heshi analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis
AT linjiang analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis
AT daicui analysisofregulatorytcellsubsetsandtheirexpressionofheliosandpd1inpatientswithhashimotothyroiditis