Th17 cells and CD4(+) multifunctional T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: Recent evidence suggests that abnormalities involving Th17 lymphocytes are associated with the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In addition, multifunctional T cells (MFT), i.e., those producing multiple cytokines simultaneously, are present in the inflammatory milieu and may be implicated in the autoimmune process observed in SLE. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the functional status of CD4(+) T cells in SLE by simultaneously determining the concentration of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17 in lymphocyte cultures under exogenous and self-antigenic stimuli. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with active disease, 18 with inactive disease, and 14 healthy controls had functional status of CD4(+) T cells analyzed. RESULTS: We found that SLE patients presented a decreased number of total CD4(+) cells, an increased number of activated T cells, and an increased frequency of Th17 cells compared to healthy controls (HC). MFT cells had increased frequency in SLE patients and there was an increased frequency of tri-functional MFT in patients with active SLE compared with those with inactive SLE. Interestingly, MTF cells produced larger amounts of IFNγ than mono-functional T cells in patients and controls. CONCLUSION: Taken together these data indicate the participation of recently activated Th17 cells and MTF cells in the SLE pathophysiology.

Linfócitos Th17 e linfócitos T CD4+ multifuncionais em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico / Th17 cells and CD4+ multifunctional T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Resumo Introdução/Objetivo: Evidências recentes sugerem que anormalidades que envolvem os linfócitos Th17 estão associadas à fisiopatologia do lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES). Além disso, os linfócitos T multifuncionais (LTM), ou seja, aqueles que produzem múltiplas citocinas simultaneamente, estão presentes no meio inflamatório e podem estar implicados no processo autoimune observado no LES. No presente estudo, objetiva-se caracterizar o estado funcional dos linfócitos T CD4+ no LES e determinar simultaneamente a concentração de IL-2, IFN-γ e IL-17 em culturas de linfócitos sob estímulos exógenos e autoantigênicos. Pacientes e métodos: Dezoito pacientes com doença ativa, 18 com doença inativa e 14 controles saudáveis foram submetidos à análise do estado funcional dos linfócitos T CD4+. Resultados: Encontrou-se que os pacientes com LES apresentaram uma diminuição na quantidade total de células CD4+, um aumento na quantidade de linfócitos T ativados e um aumento na frequência de linfócitos Th17 em comparação com controles saudáveis (HC). As células LTM tinha frequência aumentada em pacientes com LES e houve um aumento na frequência de LTM trifuncionais em pacientes com LES ativo em comparação com aqueles com LES inativo. Curiosamente, as células MTF produziram quantidades maiores de IFN-γ do que os linfócitos T monofuncionais em pacientes e controles. Conclusão: Analisados em conjunto, esses dados indicam a participação dos linfócitos Th17 recentemente ativados e células MTF na fisiopatologia do LES.

Abstract Introduction/Objective: Recent evidence suggests that abnormalities involving Th17 lymphocytes are associated with the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In addition, multifunctional T cells (MFT), i. e., those producing multiple cytokines simultaneously, are present in the inflammatory milieu and may be implicated in the autoimmune process observed in SLE. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the functional status of CD4+ T cells in SLE by simultaneously determining the concentration of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17 in lymphocyte cultures under exogenous and self-antigenic stimuli. Patients and methods: Eighteen patients with active disease, 18 with inactive disease, and 14 healthy controls had functional status of CD4+ T cells analyzed. Results: We found that SLE patients presented a decreased number of total CD4+ cells, an increased number of activated T cells, and an increased frequency of Th17 cells compared to healthy controls (HC). MFT cells had increased frequency in SLE patients and there was an increased frequency of tri-functional MFT in patients with active SLE compared with those with inactive SLE. Interestingly, MTF cells produced larger amounts of IFNγ than mono-functional T cells in patients and controls. Conclusion: Taken together these data indicate the participation of recently activated Th17 cells and MTF cells in the SLE pathophysiology.

Tooth tissue engineering: the influence of hydrophilic surface on nanocrystalline diamond films for human dental stem cells.

New techniques for tissue engineering (TE) are rapidly emerging. The basic concept of autologous TE is to isolate cells from small biopsy specimens, and to expand these cells in culture for subsequent seeding onto biodegradable scaffolds. Nanocrystalline diamond films have attracted the attention of researchers from a variety of different areas in recent years, due to their unique and exceptional properties. In this approach, human dental stem cells (hDSCs) were characterized by flow cytometry and grown on diamond films with hydrogen (H)-terminated and oxygen (O)-terminated surfaces for 28 days, and then removed by lysis and washing with distilled water. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis was performed, showing that the regions with O-terminated surfaces contained much higher levels of deposited calcium, oxygen, and phosphorus. These results suggest that the extracellular matrix was considerably more developed in the O-terminated regions, as compared with the H-terminated regions. In addition, optical microscopy of hDSCs cultured on the diamond substrate with H- and O-terminated surfaces, before washing with distilled water, showed preferential directions of the cells arrangement, where orthogonal lines suggest that the cells appeared to be following the O-terminated regions or hydrophilic surface. These findings suggest that O-terminated diamond surfaces prepared on biodegradable scaffolds can be useful for mineralized dental tissue formation.