Deviations in Peripheral Blood Cell Populations are Associated with the Stage of Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Presence of Itching.

To evaluate the role of Th17, Treg cells, activated T CD3 and B CD19 lymphocytes in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients. 40 female patients with PBC and 20 healthy donors were enrolled in this study. The percentages and absolute counts of Th17, Treg, activated T CD3, B CD19, NK, NKT-like lymphocytes were measured by flow cytometry. Our research revealed significantly lower frequencies and absolute counts of CD4CD25FOXP3 Treg cells (p < 0.0001), higher percentages and absolute counts of Th17 cells (IL-17ACD3CD4; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.009, respectively), CD3/CD16CD56 NK cells (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.039, respectively), CD3/CD16CD56 NKT-like cells (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.048, respectively). There were also higher percentages and numbers of B CD19 lymphocytes (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively) and higher percentages and absolute counts of activated B CD19CD25 cells (p = 0.007 and p = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, we observed a statistically significant correlation between the presence of itching and particular peripheral blood subpopulations in PBC patients. Absolute counts of both CD4CD3 cells (p = 0.0119) and CD3CD25 cells (p = 0.0329) were lower in patients with pruritus. A similar dependency was noted in reference to percentages of NKT-like cells (CD3/CD16CD56; p = 0.0359) and (CD3) T lymphocytes (p = 0.0302). Th17 and Treg cells are involved in the course of PBC. There is also the association between the pruritus and peripheral blood subpopulations.