Impaired mitogenic response of peripheral blood T cells in ulcerative colitis is not due to apoptosis.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Impaired mitogenic response of peripheral blood T cells in ulcerative colitis is not due to apoptosis.

Dig Dis Sci. 1999 Dec;44(12):2530-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/20094204
Perez-Machado MA; Espinosa LM; de la Madrigal EJ; Abreu L; Lorente GM; Alvarez-Mon M; University Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Royal Free; Hospital, London, UK.

Abstract: An abnormal immune response may play a pathogenic role in ulcerative colitis (UC). Animal models suggest that T-cell regulation may be of central importance in the inflammatory process. Our aims were the characterization of the phenotype and functional status of circulating T-cells in ulcerative colitis patients and to determine if activation-induced cell death in CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes in patients differs from healthy controls. Forty-eight patients (24 women and 24 men) fulfilling the histopathological, clinical, and immunological criteria for UC were studied. T-cell phenotype and function were studied in blood lymphocytes from patients with ulcerative colitis and healthy donors by flow cytometric analysis, as well as [3H]thymidine incorporation. There were no significant differences in the percentage of T-cell subpopulations (CD3, CD4, CD8) and NK cells in the different groups. The percentage of cells in growth phase S+G2M at two and three days of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation was significantly decreased in UC patients, but the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in UC patients that showed apoptosis was not significantly different than that in the control group. Proliferative responses to IL-4 also suggested that a reduced responsiveness to this cytokine may be involved in UC. In conclusion, the impaired proliferative response to PHA of T lymphocytes from UC patients is not associated with an in vitro increase in the apoptotic response in CD4+ or CD8+ cells. A reduced IL-4 response may be involved in this peculiar mitogenic response. These changes may be pathogenic or a favorable adaptive mechanism.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Adult Aged Cell Death Cells, Cultured Colitis, Ulcerative/BLOOD/*IMMUNOLOGY CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/IMMUNOLOGY CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/IMMUNOLOGY Female Human Interleukin-4/PHARMACOLOGY Killer Cells, Natural/IMMUNOLOGY Lymphocyte Transformation Male Middle Age Mitosis T-Lymphocyte Subsets T-Lymphocytes/*IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY

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