Low CD4 + T cell count is related to specific anti-nuclear antibodies, IFNα protein positivity and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus pregnancy
(2024) In Arthritis Research and Therapy 26(1).- Abstract
Background: Lymphopenia, autoantibodies and activation of the type I interferon (IFN) system are common features in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We speculate whether lymphocyte subset counts are affected by pregnancy and if they relate to autoantibody profiles and/or IFNα protein in SLE pregnancy. Methods: Repeated blood samples were collected during pregnancy from 80 women with SLE and 51 healthy controls (HC). Late postpartum samples were obtained from 19 of the women with SLE. Counts of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, B cells and NK cells were measured by flow cytometry. Positivity for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) fine specificities (double-stranded DNA [dsDNA], Smith [Sm], ribonucleoprotein [RNP], chromatin, Sjögren’s syndrome... (More)
Background: Lymphopenia, autoantibodies and activation of the type I interferon (IFN) system are common features in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We speculate whether lymphocyte subset counts are affected by pregnancy and if they relate to autoantibody profiles and/or IFNα protein in SLE pregnancy. Methods: Repeated blood samples were collected during pregnancy from 80 women with SLE and 51 healthy controls (HC). Late postpartum samples were obtained from 19 of the women with SLE. Counts of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, B cells and NK cells were measured by flow cytometry. Positivity for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) fine specificities (double-stranded DNA [dsDNA], Smith [Sm], ribonucleoprotein [RNP], chromatin, Sjögren’s syndrome antigen A [SSA] and B [SSB]) and anti-phospholipid antibodies (cardiolipin [CL] and β2 glycoprotein I [β2GPI]) was assessed with multiplexed bead assay. IFNα protein concentration was quantified with Single molecule array (Simoa) immune assay. Clinical data were retrieved from medical records. Results: Women with SLE had lower counts of all lymphocyte subsets compared to HC throughout pregnancy, but counts did not differ during pregnancy compared to postpartum. Principal component analysis revealed that low lymphocyte subset counts differentially related to autoantibody profiles, cluster one (anti-dsDNA/anti-Sm/anti-RNP/anti-Sm/RNP/anti-chromatin), cluster two (anti-SSA/anti-SSB) and cluster three (anti-CL/anti-β2GPI), IFNα protein levels and disease activity. CD4 + T cell counts were lower in women positive to all ANA fine specificities in cluster one compared to those who were negative, and B cell numbers were lower in women positive for anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm compared to negative women. Moreover, CD4 + T cell and B cell counts were lower in women with moderate/high compared to no/low disease activity, and CD4 + T cell count was lower in IFNα protein positive relative to negative women. Finally, CD4 + T cell count was unrelated to treatment. Conclusion: Lymphocyte subset counts are lower in SLE compared to healthy pregnancies, which seems to be a feature of the disease per se and not affected by pregnancy. Our results also indicate that low lymphocyte subset counts relate differentially to autoantibody profiles, IFNα protein levels and disease activity, which could be due to divergent disease pathways.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Autoantibodies, Interferon alpha, Lymphocyte count, Pregnancy, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- in
- Arthritis Research and Therapy
- volume
- 26
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 65
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:38459582
- scopus:85187164952
- ISSN
- 1478-6354
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13075-024-03301-0
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 3df9b9f9-4c10-4cda-a3d0-47aea0455e70
- date added to LUP
- 2024-04-03 14:36:47
- date last changed
- 2024-04-17 16:47:54
@article{3df9b9f9-4c10-4cda-a3d0-47aea0455e70,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Lymphopenia, autoantibodies and activation of the type I interferon (IFN) system are common features in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We speculate whether lymphocyte subset counts are affected by pregnancy and if they relate to autoantibody profiles and/or IFNα protein in SLE pregnancy. Methods: Repeated blood samples were collected during pregnancy from 80 women with SLE and 51 healthy controls (HC). Late postpartum samples were obtained from 19 of the women with SLE. Counts of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, B cells and NK cells were measured by flow cytometry. Positivity for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) fine specificities (double-stranded DNA [dsDNA], Smith [Sm], ribonucleoprotein [RNP], chromatin, Sjögren’s syndrome antigen A [SSA] and B [SSB]) and anti-phospholipid antibodies (cardiolipin [CL] and β<sub>2</sub> glycoprotein I [β<sub>2</sub>GPI]) was assessed with multiplexed bead assay. IFNα protein concentration was quantified with Single molecule array (Simoa) immune assay. Clinical data were retrieved from medical records. Results: Women with SLE had lower counts of all lymphocyte subsets compared to HC throughout pregnancy, but counts did not differ during pregnancy compared to postpartum. Principal component analysis revealed that low lymphocyte subset counts differentially related to autoantibody profiles, cluster one (anti-dsDNA/anti-Sm/anti-RNP/anti-Sm/RNP/anti-chromatin), cluster two (anti-SSA/anti-SSB) and cluster three (anti-CL/anti-β2GPI), IFNα protein levels and disease activity. CD4 + T cell counts were lower in women positive to all ANA fine specificities in cluster one compared to those who were negative, and B cell numbers were lower in women positive for anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm compared to negative women. Moreover, CD4 + T cell and B cell counts were lower in women with moderate/high compared to no/low disease activity, and CD4 + T cell count was lower in IFNα protein positive relative to negative women. Finally, CD4 + T cell count was unrelated to treatment. Conclusion: Lymphocyte subset counts are lower in SLE compared to healthy pregnancies, which seems to be a feature of the disease per se and not affected by pregnancy. Our results also indicate that low lymphocyte subset counts relate differentially to autoantibody profiles, IFNα protein levels and disease activity, which could be due to divergent disease pathways.</p>}},
author = {{Torell, Agnes and Stockfelt, Marit and Blennow, Kaj and Zetterberg, Henrik and Akhter, Tansim and Leonard, Dag and Rönnblom, Lars and Pihl, Sofia and Saleh, Muna and Sjöwall, Christopher and Strevens, Helena and Jönsen, Andreas and Bengtsson, Anders A. and Trysberg, Estelle and Majczuk Sennström, Maria and Zickert, Agneta and Svenungsson, Elisabet and Gunnarsson, Iva and Bylund, Johan and Jacobsson, Bo and Rudin, Anna and Lundell, Anna Carin}},
issn = {{1478-6354}},
keywords = {{Autoantibodies; Interferon alpha; Lymphocyte count; Pregnancy; Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{Arthritis Research and Therapy}},
title = {{Low CD4 + T cell count is related to specific anti-nuclear antibodies, IFNα protein positivity and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus pregnancy}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13075-024-03301-0}},
doi = {{10.1186/s13075-024-03301-0}},
volume = {{26}},
year = {{2024}},
}