Hadi Reihani; Maryam Rastin; Mahmoud Mahmoudi; Mohsen Ghoryani; Nafiseh Abdollahi; Nafiseh Sadat Tabasi; Shahrzad Zamani Taghizadeh Rabe; Maryam Sahebari
Volume 12, Issue 2 , June 2015, , Pages 82-93
Abstract
Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease. Emerging data suggests that T helper 17 (Th17) cells play a pathogenic role in SLE and the increased number of these cells correlates with disease activity. In recent years, 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25VitD3) ...
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Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease. Emerging data suggests that T helper 17 (Th17) cells play a pathogenic role in SLE and the increased number of these cells correlates with disease activity. In recent years, 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25VitD3) has been considered as an immunomodulatory factor. Objective: To investigate the effect of 1,25VitD3 on Th17 cells and on the expression of related cytokines in SLE patients. Method: Thirty SLE patients (newly diagnosed or in remission) were sampled for 10 ml whole blood to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation. Isolated cells were cultured in the presence and absence of 50 nM 1,25VitD3. After incubation, cells were harvested and stimulated for 4-5 hours with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin in the presence of brefeldin A. IL-17 secreting cells were analyzed by flowcytometry. RNA was extracted from cultured cells, cDNA was synthesized, and the expression levels of IL-6, IL-17, IL-23 and TGF- β genes were assessed by real-time PCR. Results: The percentage of Th17 cells (CD3+ CD8- IL-17+ T cells) decreased significantly in 1,25VitD3-treated cells (3.67 ± 2.43%) compared to untreated cells (4.65 ± 2.75%) ( p=0.003). The expression of TGF- β up regulated (1.38-fold) and the expression of IL-6 (50%), IL-17 (27%) and IL-23 (64%) down regulated after 1,25VitD3 treatment. Conclusion: This study showed that 1,25VitD3 modulates Th17 related pathways in SLE patients and revealed the immunomodulatory effect of 1,25VitD3 on the Th17 mediated autoimmunity.
Maryam Rastin; Mohammad Reza Hatef; Nafise Tabasi; Akram Sheikh; Javid Morad Abbasi; Mahmoud Mahmoudi
Volume 4, Issue 2 , June 2007, , Pages 110-115
Abstract
Background: Systemic Lupus Eyrythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease charac-terized by antibodies to nuclear antigens, particularly anti-dsDNA. Imbalance between production and destruction of immune cells causes cytopenia. Sex hormones have im-munomodulatory effects; estrogen increases the production ...
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Background: Systemic Lupus Eyrythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease charac-terized by antibodies to nuclear antigens, particularly anti-dsDNA. Imbalance between production and destruction of immune cells causes cytopenia. Sex hormones have im-munomodulatory effects; estrogen increases the production of autoantibodies in SLE prone NZB/NZW mice. Objective: To investigate the relationship between sex hor-mones, anti-dsDNA, and lymphocyte subsets in Iranian patients with SLE. Methods: 38 SLE patients (28 females and 10 males) meeting 4 of 11 ACR revised criteria for SLE classification, and 20 age and sex matched healthy individuals (10 females and 10 males) participated in this study. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed using flow cy-tometric analysis. Serum anti-dsDNA levels and sex hormones concentrations were de-termined using commercial ELISA and RIA kits, respectively. Results: The absolute count of white blood cells, lymphocytes, T lymphocytes (CD3+), T helper cells (CD3+CD4+), B cells (CD19+) and Nk cells (CD3- CD16+CD56+) in SLE patients di-minished significantly in comparison to control group (p<0.05). IgG anti-dsDNA anti-body levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls as expected (p<0.05). Prolactin increased significantly, while DHEAS showed a significant decrease in SLE patients compared with the controls (p<0.05), however the level of estrogen did not have any significant difference in SLE patients in comparison to controls. Conclusion: Increased concentration of prolactin together with a simultaneous decrease in serum DHEAS in SLE patients are associated with anti-dsDNA elevation and a decrease in almost all lymphocyte subsets.