Increased PD-1+CD154+ Tfh cells are possibly the most important functional subset of PD-1+ T follicular helper cells in adult patients with minimal change disease

Publication date: February 2018
Source:Molecular Immunology, Volume 94
Author(s): Tao Li, Yunpeng Shi, Weixia Sun, Haifeng Wang, Quan Wang, Yanfang Jiang
T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, especially programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)⁺ Tfh cells, exert important functions in the normal immune response. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of different subsets of PD-1⁺ Tfh cells and their functional effects in adult patients with minimal change disease (MCD). The frequencies of circulating PD-1⁺, PD-1⁺CD154⁺, and PD-1⁺interleukin (IL)-21⁺ Tfh cells, and CD38⁺CD19⁺ and CD38⁺CD19⁺CD40⁺ B cells, as well as serum IL-2, IL-4, IL-17A, IL-6, IL-21, and interferon (IFN)-γ were significantly increased in the MCD patients compared with the healthy controls (HCs) (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found in PD-1⁺BCL-6⁺ or PD-1⁺ICOS⁺ Tfh cells. Furthermore, the percentages of PD-1⁺ Tfh and PD-1⁺CD154⁺ Tfh cells were negatively correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), but positively correlated with the 24-h urinary protein concentration and serum IL-21 level. The percentages of PD-1⁺ Tfh and PD-1⁺CD154⁺ Tfh cells were positively correlated with the percentages of CD38⁺ plasma cells and active CD38⁺CD40⁺ plasma cells, respectively. After an 8–12-week treatment with prednisolone, the percentages of PD-1⁺, PD-1⁺CD154⁺, and PD-1⁺IL-21⁺ Tfh cells as well as the serum level of IL-21 were significantly reduced; in contrast, the serum levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased (P < 0.05). We conclude that increased PD-1⁺CD154⁺ Tfh cells are possibly the most important functional subset of PD-1⁺ Tfh cells and may contribute towards the pathogenesis of MCD.



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