Wang X, Qiao Y, Yang L, Song S, Han Y, Tian Y, Ding M, Jin H, Shao F, Liu A
1 Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
2 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Lupus. 2017 Nov;26(13):1401-1406. doi: 10.1177/0961203317703497. Epub 2017 Apr 14.
Leptin levels are increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but little is known on how this correlates with several disease characteristics including the frequency of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Here we compared serum leptin levels with frequency of circulating Tregs in 47 lupus patients vs. 25 healthy matched controls. Correlations with lupus disease activity were also analyzed, as well as Treg proliferation potential. It was found that leptin was remarkably increased in SLE patients as compared to controls, particularly in SLE patients with moderate and severe active SLE, and the increase correlated with disease activity. Importantly, increased leptin in lupus patients inversely correlated with the frequency of Tregs but not in controls, and leptin neutralization resulted in the expansion of Tregs ex vivo. Thus, hyperleptinemia in lupus patients correlates directly with disease activity and inversely with Treg frequency. The finding that leptin inhibition expands Tregs in SLE suggests possible inhibition of this molecule for an enhanced Treg function in the disease.
系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者的瘦素水平升高，但对于其与包括调节性T细胞（Tregs）频率在内的多种疾病特征之间的关联却知之甚少。在此，我们比较了47例狼疮患者与25例健康对照者的血清瘦素水平和循环Tregs频率。还分析了其与狼疮疾病活动度的相关性以及Treg增殖潜力。结果发现，与对照组相比，SLE患者的瘦素显著升高，尤其是中度和重度活动性SLE患者，且这种升高与疾病活动度相关。重要的是，狼疮患者瘦素升高与Tregs频率呈负相关，而在对照组中则无此关联，并且瘦素中和可导致体外Tregs扩增。因此，狼疮患者的高瘦素血症与疾病活动度直接相关，与Treg频率呈负相关。狼疮患者中瘦素抑制可使Tregs扩增这一发现提示，在该疾病中可能通过抑制该分子来增强Treg功能。
