Expression of CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cell and Foxp3 gene in systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective: To observe the expression of CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cell and Foxp3 gene from peripheral blood in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE),and to investigate their roles in the pathogenesis of SLE.Methods: The percentage of CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells was detected by bicolor flow cytometry,and the expression of Foxp3 mRNA on T lymphocytes was determined by RT-PCR in 25 SLE patients and 25 healthy controls.Results: The percentage of CD4~+ cells and CD4~+CD25~+ T cells,and level of Foxp3 mRNA on T lymphocytes were significantly lower in SLE group than those in control group(P0.01).There was a positive correlation between the percentage of CD4~+CD25~+ T cell expression and expression of Foxp3 mRNA(r=0.786,P0.01) in SLE group.Conclusion:There is a disturbance of cellular immune function in SLE.The downexpression of CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cell and Foxp3 mRNA on T lymphocytes may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of SLE.