Reduced L-Selectin Expression with Increased Anti-Apoptotic Protein in the Lymphocytes of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the synovium with uncertain pathogenesis. A number of phenotypic and functional T-cell defects have been described in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the cellular expression L-selectin (CD62-L) protein in the peripheral blood lymphocytes, L-selectin cellular expressions with the disease activity. And correlate it with the expression of Bcl-2 and P53 oncoproteins.

Patients and Methods: This study involved forty-six rheumatoid arthritis patients 42 female and 4 male, ages ranged from 30-60 years collected from AL-Kadhemia teaching hospital were examined and compared with 17 healthy control individuals of similar ages. Lymphocytes were separated from peripheral blood samples, the assessment of their cellular expression of cluster of differentiation 3, L-selectin, P53 and Bcl-2 by immunocytochemistry staining method.

Results: The results showed abundant accumulation of CD3 T lymphocytes in the peripheral circulation of rheumatoid arthritis patients in comparison with controls; that associated with decreased L-selectin expression in rheumatoid arthritis group. And a highly significant increase in the expression of Bcl-2 in the lymphocytes of rheumatoid arthritis patients as compared with the control group (p<0.001), however there was no significant difference in the expression of P53 between rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls (P= 0.278). The expression of L-selectin is negatively correlated with that of Bcl-2 (r= 0.401), while there was no significant correlation with P53 expression (r=0.144).

Conclusion: This study showed an increase in the peripheral blood T lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis that could be resulted from loss of homing receptor, and increase in anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2).