Results of Flow Cytometric Detection of æT Cells in Peripheral Blood of Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Pilot Study

Previous studies have suggested that gamma oT cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In this pilot study, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and healthy volunteers were stained and analyzed by flow cytometry to distinguish gamma o T cells and its subtypes, and then to report the distribution of gamma o T cells and iyts subtypes and their correlation with ankylosing spondylitis. A total of 17 patients with active AS and 10 age-and gender matched healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study, and their peripheral blood were drawn to collect mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Flow cytometry was used to analyze gamma o T cell subpopulations by measuring the surface and intracellular expressions of phenotypic markers. Serum levels of inflammatory and bone turnover markers were measured, and their correlations with subpopulations of gamma o T cells were evaluated. In patients with AS, the Vo2 fractions within gamma o T cells and CD3* T cells decreased significantly, in particular, the proportions of CD27* Vo2 T cells, CD86*CD80* Vo1 T cells, and IL17A-secreting and TNF alpha-secreting Vo1 T cells within the parental cells decreased significantly. gamma o T cells/PBMCs, Vo2 cells/gamma o T cells, and Vo2 cells/CD3* T cells were negatively correlated with CRP, whereas Vo1 cells/CD3* T cells were negatively correlated with ESR. Vo1 cells/gamma o T cells were positively correlated with CRP, gamma o T cells/PBMCs were positively correlated with beta-CTx, CD69*CD25* and IL-17A-secreting Vo1 cells were positively correlated with TP1NP, and CD69*CD25* Vo1 and Vo2 cells were positively correlated with osteocalcin. Decreases in peripheral Vo2, CD27* Vo2, CD86*CD80* Vo1, and IL17A or TNF alpha secreting Vo1 T cells are associated with AS. The correlations between gamma o T cell subpopulations and CRP and the CD69*CD25* subpopulation with TP1NP or osteocalcin suggest that an imbalance in peripheral gamma o T cell subpopulations contributes to the pathogenesis of AS.