METHODS: The proportion of CD56+ NK cells and CD161 on CD56+ NK cells was detected by flow cytometry in 31 pSS patients and 29 healthy controls (HCs). The correlations between the proportion of CD161+CD56+ NK cells and clinical features and disease activity of pSS were further analyzed. Meanwhile, we drew the receiver operating characteristic curve to evaluate the diagnostic value of CD161+CD56+ NK cells in pSS. In addition, we evaluated the differences in the effects of CD161+ cells and CD161- cells in peripheral blood on the function of CD56+ NK cells in 5 pSS patients.
RESULTS: The proportion of CD56+ NK cells and CD161+CD56+ NK cells decreased markedly in pSS patients compared to HCs. The correlation analysis showed that the proportion of CD161+CD56+ NK cells negatively correlated with white blood cells, Immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgM, IgG, European League Against Rheumatism Sjogren\'s Syndrome Patient Reported Index and European League Against Rheumatism Sjogren\'s Syndrome Disease Activity Index, and positively correlated with complement C4. The proportion of CD161+CD56+ NK cells in pSS patients with decayed tooth, fatigue, arthralgia, skin involvement, primary biliary cirrhosis, interstitial lung disease, anti-SSA/Ro60 positive, anti-SSB positive and high IgG was lower than that in negative patients. Furthermore, compared with inactive patients, the proportion of CD161+CD56+ NK cells decreased obviously in active patients. The area under the curve was 0.7375 (p = .0016), the results indicated that CD161+CD56+ NK cells had certain diagnostic values for pSS. In addition, the proportion of CD86, HLA-DR, Ki67, FasL, TNF-α, and IFN-γ on CD161+CD56+ NK cells was lower than that on CD161-CD56+ NK cells in the peripheral blood of pSS patients.
CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that the proportion of CD56+ NK cells and CD161+CD56+ NK cells decreased significantly in pSS patients, and the proportion of CD161+CD56+ NK cells negatively associated with the clinical features and disease activity of pSS patients. CD161 expression inhibited the function of CD56+ NK cells in peripheral blood of pSS patients. The CD161+CD56+ NK cells may present as a potential target for therapy and a biomarker of disease activity in pSS.
方法:采用流式细胞术检测31例pSS患者和29例健康对照(HC)中CD56NK细胞和CD161在CD56NK细胞上的比例。进一步分析CD161+CD56+NK细胞比例与pSS临床特征及疾病活动性的相关性。同时,我们绘制了受试者工作特征曲线,以评估CD161CD56NK细胞在pSS中的诊断价值。此外,我们评估了5pSS患者外周血中CD161细胞和CD161-细胞对CD56NK细胞功能的影响。
结果:与HC相比,pSS患者中CD56+NK细胞和CD161+CD56+NK细胞的比例明显下降。相关性分析显示,CD161+CD56+NK细胞比例与白细胞呈负相关,免疫球蛋白A(IgA),IgM,IgG,欧洲抗风湿病干燥综合征联盟患者报告指数和欧洲抗风湿病干燥综合征联盟疾病活动指数,与补体C4呈正相关。pSS患者中CD161+CD56+NK细胞比例,疲劳,关节痛,皮肤受累,原发性胆汁性肝硬化,间质性肺病,抗SSA/Ro60阳性,抗SSB阳性和高IgG低于阴性患者。此外,与不活跃的患者相比,活动期患者CD161+CD56+NK细胞比例明显降低。曲线下面积为0.7375(p=.0016),结果提示CD161+CD56+NK细胞对pSS有一定的诊断价值。此外,CD86、HLA-DR、Ki67,FasL,TNF-α,pSS患者外周血CD161+CD56+NK细胞上的IFN-γ低于CD161-CD56+NK细胞上的IFN-γ。
结论:本研究提示pSS患者CD56+NK细胞和CD161+CD56+NK细胞比例明显下降,CD161+CD56+NK细胞比例与pSS患者的临床特征和疾病活动性呈负相关。CD161表达抑制了pSS患者外周血CD56+NK细胞的功能。CD161+CD56+NK细胞可以作为治疗的潜在靶标和pSS中疾病活动的生物标志物存在。