Study of pathogenic T-helper cell subsets in Asian Indian patients with Takayasu arteritis

• Published in: Immunologic research 2024-08, Vol.72 (4), p.636-643
• Main Authors: Punithavathy, P. M., Telugu, Ramesh Babu, Rao, Vinay Murahari, Prabhu, Savit B., Kabeerdoss, Jayakanthan, Syed, Chanduni, Joseph, George, Danda, Debashish, Thomas, Meera, Goel, Ruchika
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergology; Arteritis; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biopsy; CD3 antigen; CD4 antigen; CD45RA antigen; Female; Flow cytometry; Glycoproteins; Helper cells; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Immunologic Memory; Immunological memory; Immunology; Immunophenotyping; India; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; Interleukin 17; Interleukin-17 - metabolism; Internal Medicine; Leukocytes (mononuclear); Lymphocytes T; Male; Medicine/Public Health; Memory cells; Memory T Cells - immunology; NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B - metabolism; P-Glycoprotein; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Surface markers; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - immunology; Takayasu Arteritis - immunology; Takayasu's disease; Young Adult; γ-Interferon
• ISSN: 0257-277X; 1559-0755; 1559-0755
• DOI: 10.1007/s12026-024-09459-8

The relapses and refractory disease are a challenge in the management of patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK). We quantified pathogenic CD4 + memory T helper cells bearing surface markers CD161 and/or p-glycoprotein (MDR1) in patients with TAK. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 21 patients with TAK and 16 age-matched controls were stained with anti-CD3, anti-CD4, anti-CD45RA, anti-CD161 and anti-p-glycoprotein antibodies and subjected to flow cytometry by FACS ARIAIII. Eighteen patients underwent follow-up immunophenotyping. Intracellular staining for interleukin-17 and interferon-γ was performed for 18 patients and 11 controls. Surgical arterial biopsies of 6 TAK and 5 non-inflammatory controls were subjected to immunohistochemistry with anti-CD161 and anti-p-glycoprotein. At baseline the frequency of MDR1 + CD4 + and CD161 + MDR1 + CD4 + memory T cells was higher in TAK than controls ( p  = 0.002 and 0.01, respectively). After stimulation, the frequency of IFN-y + CD161 + cells was higher in TAK than controls ( p  = 0.028). Modal fluorescence intensity of CD161 + MDR1 + CD45RA − CD4 + cells was higher in active as compared with stable disease ( p  = 0.041). At 6 months, MDR1 + and CD161 + MDR1 + memory CD4 + T cells decreased significantly only in patients who had complete/partial response to treatment ( p  = 0.047 and 0.02, respectively). To conclude, MDR1 + and MDR1 + CD161 + CD4 + memory T-helper cells are increased in patients with TAK. These cells decreased only in patients with response to treatment during subsequent follow-up.