Aim of the study has been to understand the relationship between TH17 and Treg cell subsets in patients affected with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Phenotypes and functions of Th17 and Treg cell subsets were analyzed in a series of 36 SSc patients. Th17 cell concentration in the peripheral blood was found to be increased in SSc patients with respect to healthy controls independently from type or stage of disease. After PBMC stimulation with a polyclonal stimulus or Candida albicans antigens the frequency of Th17 T cell clones was significantly higher in SSc patients with respect to controls suggesting the skewing of immune response in SSc patients toward Th17 cell generation/expansion. Concerning the Treg compartment, both CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD28- Treg subsets showed quantitative and qualitative alteration in the peripheral blood of SSc patients. Collectively, these data highlight the existence of an imbalanced ratio between Th17 and Treg cell subsets in SSc patients.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clim.2011.01.013 | DOI Listing |
Autoimmunity
December 2025
Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) are both autoimmune diseases, albeit with distinct anatomical targets. AS primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints, triggering inflammation and eventual fusion of the vertebrae. SSc predominantly impacts the skin and connective tissues, leading to skin fibrosis, thickening, and potential damage to vital organs such as the lungs, heart, and kidneys.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunopharmacol Immunotoxicol
December 2024
Nursing Department, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Background: One of the common findings in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients has been long-term exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides. However, the data available shows an equivocal association between pesticide exposure and autoimmunity in SSc.
Methods: We investigated the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in blood of 20 SSc patients and 17 healthy controls, and also studied their effect on T lymphocytes and their functional responses.
Arthritis Rheumatol
December 2024
Department of Medicine 3 - Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and Uniklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
Objectives: Little is known on the mechanisms necessary to maintain the physiological adult human skin integrity. This study aims to quantitatively describe anatomical changes in systemic sclerosis (SSc)-skin compared to controls and investigate the underlying mechanisms.
Methods: Skin morphology was histologically assessed in twenty-three SSc-patients, eighteen controls and fifteen patients with hypertrophic scars.
Arthritis Rheumatol
December 2024
Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare but severe autoimmune disease characterized by immune dysregulation, fibrosis, and vasculopathy. While previous studies have highlighted the presence of functional autoantibodies targeting the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (ATR) and endothelin-1 type A receptor (ETR), leading to autoantibody-mediated receptor stimulation and subsequent activation of endothelial cells (ECs), a comprehensive understanding of the direct interaction between these autoantibodies and their receptors is currently lacking. Moreover, existing data confirming the presence of these autoantibodies in SSc often rely on similar methodologies and assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to explore the potential causal link between genetic predisposition to various connective tissue diseases (CTDs), namely systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), systemic sclerosis (SSc), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the incidence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) utilizing Mendelian randomization (MR). Employing a two-sample MR approach, genetic variants associated with CTDs served as instrumental variables to investigate the exposure-outcome relationship, with GWAS data sourced from the FinnGen Biobank. Comprehensive statistical analyses, including the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, were conducted, alongside heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and sensitivity tests to ensure the robustness and validity of findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!