Immunology Research Center, BuAli Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013 Aug;16(8):936-41.
OBJECTIVE(S): Apoptosis is a tightly regulated process and plays a crucial role in autoimmune diseases. Because abnormalities in apoptosis are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in present study we studied the apoptosis in T lymphocytes from Iranian SLE patients at protein and gene expression levels for some molecules which are involved in apoptosis pathways.
Thirty five SLE patients (23 female, 12 male), and 20 age matched controls (10 female, 10 male) participated in this study. T lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using MACS method. Apoptosis rate was studied at protein level by flow cytometer using Annexin V, and at gene expression level using semi-quantitative RT-PCR method for detection of Fas, FasL, Bcl-2, caspase 8, and caspase 9 genes.
The percentage of apoptotic cells in SLE patients was not different in comparison with controls (20.2% ± 1.4 vs 21.1% ± 1.0), but the expression levels of FasL, caspase 8, and caspase 9 genes in all SLE patients and in female patients were significantly lower than controls; 0.45R vs 0.78R for FasL, 0.74R vs 1.0R for caspase 8, and 0.76R vs 1.26R for caspase 9 in all SLE patients and 0.37R vs 0.82R for FasL, 0.45R vs 1.6R for caspase 8, and 0.63R vs 1.56R for caspase 9 in female patients.
The expression levels of FasL, caspase 8 and caspase 9 molecules involved in apoptosis decreased in female, but not in male SLE patients.
细胞凋亡是一个受严格调控的过程，在自身免疫性疾病中起着至关重要的作用。由于细胞凋亡的异常被认为与系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）的发病机制有关，因此本研究我们在蛋白和基因表达水平上研究了伊朗 SLE 患者 T 淋巴细胞中的凋亡，研究了一些参与凋亡途径的分子。
35 名 SLE 患者（23 名女性，12 名男性）和 20 名年龄匹配的对照组（10 名女性，10 名男性）参与了这项研究。使用 MACS 方法从外周血单核细胞（PBMCs）中分离 T 淋巴细胞。通过流式细胞术使用 Annexin V 研究凋亡率，通过半定量 RT-PCR 方法检测 Fas、FasL、Bcl-2、caspase 8 和 caspase 9 基因的基因表达水平。
与对照组相比，SLE 患者的凋亡细胞百分比没有差异（20.2%±1.4%对 21.1%±1.0%），但所有 SLE 患者和女性患者的 FasL、caspase 8 和 caspase 9 基因的表达水平明显低于对照组；0.45R 对 0.78R FasL，0.74R 对 1.0R caspase 8，0.76R 对 1.26R caspase 9 所有 SLE 患者和 0.37R 对 0.82R FasL，0.45R 对 1.6R caspase 8，0.63R 对 1.56R caspase 9 在女性患者中。
凋亡相关的 FasL、caspase 8 和 caspase 9 分子的表达水平在女性 SLE 患者中降低，但在男性 SLE 患者中没有降低。
