Document Type : New and original researches in the field of Microbiology.
Authors
1
Department of Clinical Pathology, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
2
Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
3
Department of Clinical Pathology, Helwan Faculty of Medicine, Helwan, Egypt
4
Department of Toxicology, Mansoura Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
5
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
6
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, characterized by dysregulated T cell immune response.. Objective: To investigate the Tim-3 surface expression on peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in RA patients concerning disease activity. Methods: A cross-sectional case-controlled study involving 157 RA patients who were categorized by disease activity score 28 (DAS28) into 4 groups; patients with remission and low, moderate, and high RA activity groups. The assessment of Tim-3 expression on peripheral CD4 and CD8 T cells of patients and controls using flow cytometry was done. Results: The peripheral expression of Tim-3 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in RA patients as compared to controls (for CD4+ T cells, 3.55 ± 1.12 % in remission group vs. 1.21 ± 0.52 in control group, p <0.001; for CD8+ T cells, 5.95 ± 1.49 % in remission group vs. 1.80 ± 0.73 % in control group, p <0.001). There was an inverse correlation between percentages of both peripheral Tim-3+CD4+ and Tim-3+CD8+ T cell and RA DAS28, (r = –0.425, p = 0.001) and (r= –0.597, p = <0.001) respectively. Conclusion: The upregulated Tim-3 expression on peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells suggests a potential role of this immune checkpoint receptor in T cell immune dysregulation in RA. Tim-3 expression was negatively correlated with disease progression. Tim-3 could be a useful biomarker in determining the rheumatoid disease activity, progression, and represents an important target for inhibitors intervention in RA.
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