Lymphocyte subsets and immune check point receptors after interferon alpha: preliminary findings
Purpose
To evaluate the influence of interferon-alpha treatment on the lymphocyte subsets and immune checkpoint receptor expression levels.
Methods
Four patients on interferon alpha-2a (3MU per day until remission, 3MU every 2nd day after remission) were included. Blood samples were taken before and at the 1st month of treatment. Lymphocyte subsets and immune checkpoint receptors (PD-1, CTLA-4, TIGIT, LAG-3, Tim-3) were analyzed by flow cytometry.
Results
Four patients were included (3 Behçet’s, 1 Eales; mean age:27.5±9.3 years, 2 male, 2 female). The ratio of CD4 cells (44.4±9.6 vs. 44.2±7.5), CD8 cells (30.7±4.2 vs. 34.5±4.8), CD19 B cells (8.7±1.4 vs. 8.8±4.6), CD3-CD16+CD56+ NK cells (10.4±6.6 vs. 9.3±5.1) and CD3+CD16+CD56+ NKT cells (5.7±3.8 vs. 3.2±0.6) remained at similar levels. But the ratio of Treg cells increased significantly after treatment (5.3±2.8 vs. 14.1±4.3, 0=0.04). There was a trend towards an increased expression of some checkpoint receptors in certain subsets, such as CTLA-4 in CD4+ T cells, PD-1 and Lag-3 in CD8+ T cells.
Conclusion
These results confirmed previous report on Tregs with interferon alpha-2a. The expression of certain checkpoint receptors tended to change in specific subsets. Further work with a larger sample size will better explain these treatment-associated findings.
Conflict of interest
No
Author 1
Last name
ESEN
Initials of first name(s)
F
Department
IMU School of Medicine, Ophthalmology
City
Istanbul
Country
Turkey
Author 2
Last name
TURKYILMAZ
Initials of first name(s)
O
Department
IMU School of Medicine, Ophthalmology
City
Istanbul
Country
Turkey
Author 3
Last name
AYKUT
Initials of first name(s)
V
Department
IMU School of Medicine, Ophthalmology
City
Istanbul
Country
Turkey
Author 4
Last name
DENIZ
Initials of first name(s)
G
Department
IU Aziz Sancar DETAE, Immunology
City
Istanbul
Country
Turkey
Author 5
Last name
OGUZ
Initials of first name(s)
H
Department
IMU School of Medicine, Ophthalmology
City
Istanbul
Country
Turkey
Author 6
Last name
DIRESKENELI
Initials of first name(s)
H
Department
Marmara Univ. SOM, Rheumatology
City
Istanbul
Country
Turkey
Author 7
Last name
AKTAS CETIN
Initials of first name(s)
E
Department
IU Aziz Sancar DETAE, Immunology
City
Istanbul
Country
Turkey
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