Selective accumulation of CCR4+ T lymphocytes into renal tissue of patients with lupus nephritis.

Objective: Some chemokine receptors, such as CCR5 and CCR4, are differentially expressed on Th1 and Th2 cells. To determine whether differential expression of the chemokine receptors occurs in patients with lupus nephritis, we examined the expression of CCR4 and CCR5 on peripheral blood lymphocytes and mononuclear cells infiltrated into the renal tissue of patients with lupus nephritis.

Methods: The expression of CCR4 and CCR5 on CD4+,CD45RO+ cells was analyzed by flow cytometry and compared between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls.