Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2005 Feb;58(2):178-84.
doi: 10.1136/jcp.2004.019224.

Alterations of mononuclear inflammatory cells, CD4/CD8+ T cells, interleukin 1beta, and tumour necrosis factor alpha in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, peripheral blood, and skin of patients with systemic sclerosis

M R Hussein  1 , H I Hassan, E R M Hofny, M Elkholy, N A Fatehy, A E A Abd Elmoniem, A M Ezz El-Din, O A Afifi, H G Rashed
Affiliations

Alterations of mononuclear inflammatory cells, CD4/CD8+ T cells, interleukin 1beta, and tumour necrosis factor alpha in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, peripheral blood, and skin of patients with systemic sclerosis

M R Hussein et al. J Clin Pathol. 2005 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disease with underlying immune mechanisms.

Aims: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of the lesions; immunological alterations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), peripheral blood, and skin; and correlations between the clinicopathological characteristics and immunological alterations in SSc.

Materials/methods: Skin biopsies, BALF, and peripheral blood samples were obtained from 19 patients (18 women, one man) with SSc and six age and sex matched healthy controls (HCs). Mononuclear inflammatory cells (MICs), CD4/CD8 cells, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), and interleukin 1beta (IL1-1beta) concentrations were examined in all samples using histological methods, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and immunoperoxidase staining.

Results: The mean (SD) age of the patients with SSc was 34.8 (2.6) years. Proteinuria, positive rheumatoid factor, and C reactive protein were seen in 15.8%, 26.3%, and 26.3% of patients, respectively. Compared with HCs, there were significantly higher: total MICs (macrophages, lymphocytes), neutrophils, and eosinophils in BALF, blood, and skin (all p<0.05); cytokine concentrations in BALF (TNFalpha, p<0.001; IL-1, p<0.01) and peripheral blood (p<0.01 and p<0.05); and CD8/CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood (p<0.05). Compared with HCs, lesional skin had significantly higher histiocyte cell counts (p<0.05), lower lymphocyte counts (p<0.05), and higher CD4/CD8 ratios (p<0.001). There were significant correlations between cytokine concentrations and CD8+ T cells and forced vital capacity (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively).

Conclusions: MICs, CD4/CD8+ cells, and cytokines are altered in SSc. These alterations correlated with the underlying disease process and therefore may have pathogenic, modulatory, and potential prognostic roles in SSc.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) grade II scleroderma showing encroachment of the collagen on the adenexal structures and loss of definition between the papillary and reticular dermis (original magnification, ×100), abundance of CD4+ T cells in the dermis (original magnification, ×200), and scarcity of CD8+ T cells in the dermis (original magnification, ×200).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mayes MD, Lacey JV Jr, Beebe-Dimmer J, et al. Prevalence, incidence, survival, and disease characteristics of systemic sclerosis in a large US population. Arthritis Rheum 2003;48:2246–55. - PubMed
    1. Gruschwitz MS, Albrecht M, Vieth G, et al. In situ expression and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptors in patients with early stages of systemic sclerosis. J Rheumatol 1997;24:1936–43. - PubMed
    1. Fujii H, Hasegawa M, Takehara K, et al. Abnormal expression of intracellular cytokines and chemokine receptors in peripheral blood T lymphocytes from patients with systemic sclerosis. Clin Exp Immunol 2002;130:548–56. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lonzetti LS, Joyal F, Raynauld JP, et al. Updating the American College of Rheumatology preliminary classification criteria for systemic sclerosis: addition of severe nailfold capillaroscopy abnormalities markedly increases the sensitivity for limited scleroderma. Arthritis Rheum 2001;44:735–6. - PubMed
    1. Pantelidis P, Fanning GC, Wells AU, et al. Analysis of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, lymphotoxin-alpha, tumor necrosis factor receptor II, and interleukin-6 polymorphisms in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001;163:1432–6. - PubMed

MeSH terms