Relationship between TCM syndrome type and expression of human leucocyte antigen DR gene in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of human leucocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of various TCM syndrome types in order to seek an objective index for syndrome differentiation of SLE.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SLE patients were sorted into various syndrome types by TCM syndrome differentiation, i. e. Pi-Shen yang-deficiency type (A), yin-deficiency with internal heat type (B), qi-yin deficiency type (C) and Gan-Shen yin-deficiency type (D). Their peripheral blood sample was collected for detecting HLA-DR positive lymphocytes and monocytes in PBMC using flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Comparisons among patients of various syndrome type showed that the proportion of HLA-DR positive monocytes and lymphocytes in PBMC in patients of type A was the lowest (P < 0.01); proportion of HLA-DR positive lymphocytes in patients of type B was significantly higher than in those of type C and D (P < 0.01), and that in type D was higher than in type C (P < 0.05); total proportion of HLA-DR positive cells in patients of type A was the lowest, that in type B was higher than that in type C and D (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), while no significant difference was found between the latter two types (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HLA-DR could be taken as an objective index for reference in syndrome differentiation of SLE.</p>