الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is heterogeneous disease with a broad clinical spectrum ranging from primarily cutaneous lesions to severe systemic organ manifestations. It is associated with abnormal immune response including production of autoantibodies and immune complexes. There is a connection between lupus and the disturbance of regulatory T cells which play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system (Benjamin et al.,2011).Several studies have demonstrated that decreased numbers and/or function of Foxp3 Tregs contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE.(Horwitz ,2008). Also patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have multiple risk factors for 25 (OH) Vit D deficiencies. The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of T regulatory cells in patients with SLE as well as serum 25OH vitamin D levels and whether there is a correlation between both parameters and their effect on clinical impact of the disease. The present study was conducted on forty adult patients who were enrolled from the Rheumatology Department at Ain Shams University Hospitals and on twenty healthy adults as a control group for Peripheral CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3 Treg cells and for serum levels of 25-OH vitamin D. Peripheral CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3 Treg cells were assessed by flow cytometry and serum levels of 25-OH vitamin D were measured by ELISA. The present study demonstrated significantly lower levels of Treg % and serum vitamin D levels in patients than controls. The serum vitamin D and The Treg % in patients without activity was higher than that of patients with activity with significant difference for serum vitamin D level and non-significant difference for Treg %, However, no statistically significant correlation between serum vitamin D and Treg frequency has been demonstrated. |