Dissection of a circulating CD3+CD20+ T cell subpopulation in patients with psoriasis

In this study, we aimed to investigate the level, phenotype, functional and clinical relevance of CD3+CD20+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis. We found that a small subset of CD3+ T cells expressed CD20 molecule in the peripheral blood of patients with psoriasis, and their levels were similar to those in healthy donors. Circulating CD3+CD20+ T cells in patients with psoriasis were enriched in CD4+ cells and displayed an activated effector phenotype, as these cells contained fewer CD45RA+‐naive and CCR7+ cells with increased activity than those of CD3+ T cells lacking CD20. In addition, compared with healthy donors, circulating CD3+CD20+ T cells in patients with psoriasis produced more cytokines, interleukin (IL)‐17A, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and IL‐21, but not IL‐4 and IFN‐γ. Furthermore, a significantly positive correlation was found between the levels of IL‐17A, TNF‐α and IL‐21‐production CD3+CD20+ T cells with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores. Our findings suggest that CD3+CD20+ T cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Our study found that a circulating CD3+CD20+ T‐cell subpopulation in patients with psoriasis was enriched in CD4+ cells and displayed an activated effector phenotype. Compared with healthy donors, circulating CD3+CD20+ T cells in patients with psoriasis also produced more IL‐17A, TNF‐α and IL‐21, and a significant positively correlation was observed between the levels o...
Source: Clinical and Experimental Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research