Pregnancy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: do regulatory T cells play a role?

Förger, Frauke; Villiger, Peter M; Ostensen, Monika (2009). Pregnancy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: do regulatory T cells play a role? Arthritis & rheumatism, 61(2), pp. 279-83. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Blackwell 10.1002/art.24161

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the numerical and functional changes of CD4+CD25(high) regulatory T (Treg) cells during pregnancy and postpartum in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: The frequency of CD4+CD25(high) T cells was determined by flow cytometry in 10 pregnant and 5 nonpregnant patients with AS as well as in 14 pregnant and 4 nonpregnant healthy controls. Pregnant individuals were investigated at the third trimester and 8 weeks postpartum. Treg cells and CD4+CD25- effector T (Teff) cells separated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting were stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 monoclonal antibodies, alone or in coculture, to investigate proliferation and cytokine secretion. RESULTS: The frequency of CD4+CD25(high) Treg cells was significantly higher during pregnancy than postpartum in both healthy control subjects and patients with AS. In contrast to Treg cells in healthy pregnant women, Treg cells in pregnant women with AS secreted only small amounts of interleukin-10 and showed lower suppression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon-gamma secretion by CD4+CD25- Teff cells. At the postpartum time point, proinflammatory cytokine levels in the Treg/Teff cell cocultures and Teff cell monocultures were significantly higher in patients with AS than in healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy influenced the expansion and cytokine secretion of Treg cells in both patients with AS and control subjects. However, the Treg cells of pregnant patients with AS failed to support an antiinflammatory cytokine milieu, thereby possibly contributing to the persistent disease activity of AS during pregnancy.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Dermatology, Urology, Rheumatology, Nephrology, Osteoporosis (DURN) > Clinic of Rheumatology and Immunology
UniBE Contributor:	Förger, Frauke, Villiger, Peter Matthias, Oestensen, Monika Elisabeth
ISSN:	0004-3591
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:11
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:22
Publisher DOI:	10.1002/art.24161
PubMed ID:	19177540
Web of Science ID:	000263246400018
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/31410 (FactScience: 195917)