Qi Zheng1, Kun Zhu2, Cai-Na Gao1, Yi-Ping Xu1, Mei-Ping Lu3. 1. Department of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 57# Zhu Gan Road, Hangzhou, 310000, China. 2. Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. 3. Department of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 57# Zhu Gan Road, Hangzhou, 310000, China. meipinglu@zju.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The underlying etiology of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is unknown. T cell deficiency as well as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection had been suspected to be involved in the pathogenesis, but it has been poorly evaluated in JDM patients. METHODS: This study described the traits of T and B lymphocyte subsets in newly onset JDM patients and the incidence of EBV infection in JDM patients compared with match controls. Newly developed JDM patients from 2014 to 2018 were included in the study. Lymphocytes with different markers (CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD3-CD19+ and CD3-CD16+CD56+) were tested with flow cytometry in the first admission or after 6 months of treatment. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the EBV infection in the group of JDM patients and controls. RESULTS: We observed that JDM patients had higher positive rate of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-immunoglobulin G (IgG) (P < 0.0001) as well as EBV capsid antigen-IgG (P < 0.05) than normal controls. CD3-CD16+CD56+ lymphocyte was found to be extremely low in early stage of JDM patients, but increased after 6 months of treatment (P = 0.0091). CONCLUSIONS: The level of CD3-CD16+CD56+ cells may associate with the clinical course of JDM. EBV may act as an environmental factor predisposing patients to the development of JDM.
BACKGROUND: The underlying etiology of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is unknown. T cell deficiency as well as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection had been suspected to be involved in the pathogenesis, but it has been poorly evaluated in JDMpatients. METHODS: This study described the traits of T and B lymphocyte subsets in newly onset JDMpatients and the incidence of EBV infection in JDMpatients compared with match controls. Newly developed JDMpatients from 2014 to 2018 were included in the study. Lymphocytes with different markers (CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD3-CD19+ and CD3-CD16+CD56+) were tested with flow cytometry in the first admission or after 6 months of treatment. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the EBV infection in the group of JDMpatients and controls. RESULTS: We observed that JDMpatients had higher positive rate of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-immunoglobulin G (IgG) (P < 0.0001) as well as EBV capsid antigen-IgG (P < 0.05) than normal controls. CD3-CD16+CD56+ lymphocyte was found to be extremely low in early stage of JDMpatients, but increased after 6 months of treatment (P = 0.0091). CONCLUSIONS: The level of CD3-CD16+CD56+ cells may associate with the clinical course of JDM. EBV may act as an environmental factor predisposing patients to the development of JDM.