[Change of Th22 cells in peripheral blood of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia and clinical implication].

Aim: To investigate the change of Th22 cells in the peripheral blood of the patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and evaluate the significance of Th22 cells in ITP.

Methods: The proportion of Th22 cells in the peripheral blood of ITP patients before therapy (group 1), ITP patients in complete response after therapy (ITP-CR, group 2) and healthy donors (group 3) was evaluated by flow cytometry. The cytokines IL-22, TGF-β, TNF-α and IL-6 of each group were measured by ELISA. The level of IL-22 mRNA of each group was examined by RT-PCR.

Results: The proportion of Th22 cells and the levels of IL-22, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-22 mRNA in group l and group 2 were significantly higher than those in group 3 (P<0.01). The proportion of Th22 cells and the levels of IL-22, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-22 mRNA in group 2 were lower than those in group 1(P<0.05). But the level of TGF-β in group l [(3.27±1.02) ng/L] and group 2 [(5.41±1.69) ng/L] was significantly lower than that in group 3 [(9.65±2.78) ng/L] (P<0.01), and the level of TGF-β in group 1 was lower than that in group 2 (P<0.05).

Conclusion: In ITP patients, the number of Th22 cells and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 increase, and the level of TGF-β decrease.