[Sex bias in generation and functional phenotypes of peripheral T follicular helper cells in schistosomiasis japonica].

Objective: To study the influence of sex on the generation and function of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in the process of infection.

Methods: Totally 50 schistosomiasis patients were selected in the endemic areas of Chizhou City, Anhui Province, and totally 50 healthy people were selected in the non-endemic areas of Chizhou City as the controls. The peripheral bloods were collected from the above study subjects, and the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from male/female schistosomiasis japonica patients or healthy controls were collected into the sodium heparin tubes and purified by Ficoll-paque plus density gradient centrifugation. Then, the percentages of total Tfh cell, ICOS Tfh cells, and PD-1 Tfh cells in the schistosomiasis male/female patients or healthy controls were evaluated by flow cytometry.

Results: Compared with the male and female healthy controls, the frequency of the total Tfh cells ( = 149.0, = 39.5, both < 0.01), the percentages of PD-1+ Tfh cells ( = 5.9, = 7.7, both < 0.01) and ICOS+ Tfh cells ( = 3.2, = 5.9, both < 0.01) of the male and female patients with schistosomiasis increased, all the differences were statistically significant. The further analysis showed that the percentage of total Tfh cells ( = 187.5, < 0.05), ICOS Tfh cells ( = 3.2, < 0.05), and PD-1 Tfh cells ( = 3.0, < 0.05) of the female patients were markedly higher than those of the male patients, all the differences were also statistically significant.

Conclusions: Sex may be a crucial role in the generation and function of Tfh cells in the process of infection.