RESUMEN
Regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) exist as natural ideal immunosuppressors in the immune system. Autologous or allogeneic Treg transfusion therapy has been carried out in animal models and humans as a new strategy for treating autoimmune disease. Recent studies have shown that Tregs can be engineered with chimeric antigen receptors to be antigen-specific, which are more effective than polyclonal Tregs with fewer target limitations and a lack of major histocompatibility complex restriction. This review describes the potential for applying chimeric antigen receptor-engineered regulatory T cells in autoimmune diseases.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades Autoinmunes/inmunología , Enfermedades Autoinmunes/terapia , Inmunoterapia , Ingeniería de Proteínas , Receptores Quiméricos de Antígenos/metabolismo , Linfocitos T Reguladores/inmunología , Animales , Humanos , Factores Inmunológicos/metabolismoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the role of IL-21 in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG) and its influence on the the class switch of anti-AChR antibodies.@*METHODS@#Blood was taken from 26 patients and 18 healthy controls, and the expression of IL-21R mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was detected by RT-PCR. The expression of IL-21R on B lymphocytes was measured by flow cytometry, while the concentrations of serum IL-21 and the levels of anti-AChR-IgG and its isotype IgG(1), IgG(2), and IgG(3) were tested by ELISA.@*RESULTS@#The serum concentration of IL-21 in the MG group was higher than that in the control group (31.686±8.499 pg/mL, 15.147±6.366 pg/mL) and the difference was significant (P0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of IL-21R on B lymphocytes also increased in the MG group (P0.05). Expression of IL-21R mRNA in the PBMCs showed no correlation with the level of serum anti-AChR-IgG and its isotype IgG(1), IgG(2), and IgG(3), respectively(P>0.05); however the expression of IL-21R in B lymphocytes showed positive correlation with anti-AChR-IgG and it's isotype IgG(1) and IgG(3) (P0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#IL-21 might induce the class switch of anti-AChR antibodies to IgG(1) and IgG(3) isotype through IL-21R on B lymphocytes which promotes the pathogenesis of the MG.