The Expression and Significance of CD4+CD25+CD127low/- Regulatory T cells and Foxp3 in Patients with Portal Hypertension and Hypersplenism

Background/Aims: To study the expression of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(low/-) regulatory T cells and Foxp3 in patients with portal hypertension (PH) and hypersplenism, and explore the significance of Treg in immunomodulation of hypersplenism. Methodology: Testing of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(low/-) regulatory T cells and CD3+CD4+CD8+ T cells in peripheral venous blood with flow cytometry in 20 patients with PH and hypersplenism; testing for Foxp3 in spleen tissue of 30 patients with PH and hypersplenism with immunohistochemistry. Results: The Percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(low/-)/CD4(+) in patients with PH and hypersplenism was 5.3%+/- 3.0%. It was obviously increased compared with normal Control samples 2.5%+/- 0.9%, with significant difference (p=0.001). There was a negative correlation between CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(low/-)/CD4(+) rate and CD3(+)CD4(+) (r=-0.630, p=0.003; r=-0.561, p=0.01). The spleen tissue Foxp3 expression (IOD=293.1 +/- 180.0) in patients with PH and hypersplenism were markedly improved compared with the normal expressions of spleen-cutting groups (IOD=115.2 +/- 84.1), the difference was significant (p<0.01). Conclusions: The percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD1(low/-) Treg and Foxp3 in patients with PH and hypersplenism was significantly increased, suggesting that they may take part in the regulation of immune function and be related to the change of T lymphocyte subsets in patients with PH and hypersplenism, which may-have an important clinical significance.