Effect of cyclosporine on regulatory T cells and Foxp3 in the peripheral blood of children with chronic aplastic anemia

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression diversification of CD4+CD25+CD127low regulatory T (Treg) cells and Foxp3 mRNA in the peripheral blood of children with aplastic anemia after the treatment with cyclosporine. METHODS: Fifty children with chronic aplastic anemia were enrolled, among whom 30 received cyclosporine treatment (cyclosporine group) and 20 were treated with conventional methods (conventional group). Twenty healthy children were enrolled as the control group. The expression of CD4+CD25+CD127low Treg cells was detected by flow cytometry. The expression of Foxp3 mRNA was detected by real-time Q-PCR. RESULTS: The expressions of Foxp3 mRNA and CD4+CD25+CD127lowTreg cells showed no significant difference between the cyclosporine and the control groups 6 months after treatment. On the contrary, there were significantly lower expressions of both in the conventional group than in the control group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the cyclosporine group had significantly higher expressions of Foxp3 mRNA and CD4+CD25+CD127low Treg cells than the conventional group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expressions of CD4+CD25+CD127low Treg cells and Foxp3 mRNA in children with aplastic anemia increase after cyclosporine treatment.