CD25brightCD4+regulatory T cells are enriched in inflamed joints of patients with chronic rheumatic disease

Table 1 Summary of rheumatic patients included in the frequency study

Diagnosis, subdiagnosis	Number	Sex (F/M)	Age (years) Median (range)	CD25^brightCD4⁺ in PB (%) Median (range)	CD25^brightCD4⁺ in SF (%) Median (range)	Fold increase, SF/PB^a Median (range)^b
Spondyloarthropathies	36	20/16	46 (21–83)	0.7 (0.2–2.9)	2.7 (0.4–9.1)	4.8 (0.7–20.7)***
PsA	26	14/12	50 (24–83)	0.6 (0.2–2.9)	2.6 (1.0–9.1)	4.7 (0.9–20.7)
SpA^c	10	6/4	33 (21–58)	1.2 (0.4–2.4)	3.4 (0.4–6.8)	5.0 (0.7–17.6)
JIA	21	18/3	30 (18–50)	0.4 (0.1–1.8)	3.7 (0.3–6.7)	6.7 (3.1–16.3)***
Rheumatoid arthritis	135	107/28	57 (22–85)	0.7 (0.04–2.9)	2.3 (0.2–19.9)	3.7 (0.4–56.8)***
RF⁺	109	88/21	57 (25–81)	0.7 (0.04–2.9)	2.3 (0.3–19.9)	3.5 (0.4–56.8)
RF^-	26	19/7	56 (22–85)	0.9 (0.2–2.4)	2.4 (0.7–19.7)	4.3 (0.6–19.9)
Healthy controls	29	25/4	51 (23–63)	1.2 (0.3–2.4)	na	na

JIA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis; na, not analyzed; PB, peripheral blood, SF, synovial fluid. ^aCalculated as percentage of CD25^brightCD4⁺ cells in SF divided by percentage of CD25^brightCD4⁺ cells in PB. ^bA significant enrichment of CD25^brightCD4⁺ T cells in SF over that in PB was found: ***P < 0.0001. ^cAnkylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathies. Excluded are patients with reactive arthritis and gastrointestinal inflammation.

ISSN: 1478-6362