Abstract:

BACKGROUND: More and more studies have been performed to analyze immune tolerance signs to better assist patients to undergo immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of CD4⁺ CD25⁺ CD127^low/- regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of renal transplant patients in the immune tolerance following renal transplantation.
METHODS: Peripheral blood from 62 patients with primary glomerulonephritis who received renal transplantation (22 included in the acute rejection group and 40 in the transplantation stability group) and 20 healthy controls was harvested, anticoagulated and stained. The proportion of CD4⁺ CD25⁺ CD127^low/- regulatory T cells in the CD4⁺ T cells was analyzed through the use of flow cytometer. Serum concentration of interleukin 2 and 10 was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The proportion of CD4⁺ CD25⁺ CD127^low/- regulatory T cells in the CD4⁺ T cells was significantly higher in the transplantation stability group than that in the healthy control group and acute rejection group (P < 0.01). The proportion of CD4⁺ CD25⁺ CD127^low/- regulatory T cells in the CD4⁺ T cells was significantly negatively correlated with interleukin 2 (P < 0.05) but it was significantly positively correlated with interleukin 10 (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that CD4⁺ CD25⁺ CD127^low/- regulatory T cells exert some effects in the mechanism underlying immune tolerance after renal transplantation.