Table 2.
T cell subsets, cytokine-secreting helper T cells, and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (n = 36) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 55).
| AS | HC | p* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD3+ T cells/mm3 (%) | 1,479.7 ± 91.7 (54.1 ± 3.3) n = 36 |
1,669.8 ± 103.5 (53.8 ± 2.3) n = 28 |
0.25 |
| CD4+ T cells/mm3 (%) | 781.05 ± 68.5 (50.2 ± 2.2) n = 34 |
683.6 ± 86.1 (47.1 ± 2.5) n = 25 |
0.35 |
| CD8+ T cells/mm3a (%)a | 625.9 ± 41.7 (42.2 ± 2.2) n = 34 |
708.1 ± 59.8 (38.9 ± 1.9) n = 25 |
0.3 |
| γδ T cells/mm3 (%) | 95.9 ± 13 (6.5 ± 0.8) n = 34 |
194 ± 36.1 (10.4 ± 1.2) n = 25 |
0.016 |
| Vα7.2+ CD161+ MAIT cells/mm3 (%) | 38.7 ± 6.2 (2.6 ± 0.4) n = 18 |
52.4 ± 13.2 (4.5 ± 0.8) n = 17 |
0.04 |
| Cytokine-secreting conventional T cell subsets | |||
| IFN-γ+ CD4+ T cells/mm3 (%) | 33.05 ± 4.9 (4.6 ± 0.7) n = 34 |
47.9 ± 10.3 (13.1 ± 1.6) n = 25 |
<0.0001 |
| IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells/mm3a (%)a | 155.8 ± 18.1 (23.3 ± 1.9) n = 34 |
261.3 ± 31.1 (38.3 ± 2.2) n = 25 |
<0.0001 |
| IL-17A+/IFN-γ+ CD4+ T cells/mm3 (%) | 0.028 ± 0.01 (0.005 ± 0.002) n = 36 |
0.016 ± 0.006 (0.004 ± 0.006) n = 27 |
0.68 |
| IL-17A+/IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells/mm3a (%)a | 0.07 ± 0.03 (0.01 ± 0.04) n = 36 |
0.26 ± 0.14 (0.022 ± 0.008) n = 28 |
0.37 |
| IL-17A+/IFN-γ− CD4+ T cells/mm3 (%) | 0.29 ± 0.08 (0.04 ± 0.008) n = 36 |
0.38 ± 0.2 (0.16 ± 0.03) n = 28 |
0.0005 |
| IL-17A+/IFN-γ− CD8+ T cells/mm3a (%)a | 0.11 ± 0.03 (0.017 ± 0.003) n = 36 |
0.4 ± 0.2 (0.04 ± 0.01) n = 28 |
0.11 |
| IL-22+/IFN-γ+ CD4+ T cells/mm3 (%) | 0.67 ± 0.25 (0.11 ± 0.04) n = 36 |
0.6 ± 0.3 (0.10 ± 0.04) n = 28 |
0.7 |
| IL-22+/IFN-γ+ CD8+ T cells/mm3a (%)a | 4.7 ± 3 (0.52 ± 0.3) n = 36 |
2 ± 0.9 (0.19 ± 0.06) n = 28 |
0.4 |
| IL-22+/IFN-γ− CD4+ T cells/mm3 (%) | 0.9 ± 0.16 (0.14 ± 0.02) n = 36 |
0.9 ± 0.2 (0.13 ± 0.07) n = 28 |
0.32 |
| IL-22+/IFN-γ− CD8+ T cells/mm3a (%)a | 0.38 ± 0.08 (0.07 ± 0.02) n = 36 |
0.5 ± 0.13 (0.07 ± 0.01) n = 28 |
0.5 |
| MAIT cells according to intracellular cytokine staining | |||
| IFN-γ+ MAIT cells/mm3 (%) | 9.29 ± 1.8 (22.2 ± 2.1) n = 18 |
13 ± 3.5 (25.2 ± 1.9) n = 17 |
0.8 |
| IFN-γ+/IL-22+ MAIT cells/mm3 (%) | 0.37 ± 0.09 (1.1 ± 0.3) n = 18 |
0.11 ± 0.03 (0.32 ± 0.09) n = 17 |
0.02 |
| IFN-γ−/IL-22+ MAIT cells/mm3 (%) | 0.36 ± 0.09 (0.83 ± 0.1) n = 18 |
0.07 ± 0.06 (0.29 ± 0.06) n = 17 |
0.002 |
| IFN-γ−/IL-17A+ MAIT cells/mm3 (all) (%) | 0.14 ± 0.05 (0.43 ± 0.1) n = 18 |
0.037 ± 0.02 (0.24 ± 0.05) n = 17 |
0.01 |
| IFN-γ−/IL-17A+ MAIT/mm3 (males) (%) | 0.78 ± 0.09 (0.34 ± 0.5) n = 11 |
0.013 ± 0.01 (0.28 ± 0.05) n = 4 |
0.29 |
| IFN-γ−/IL-17A+ MAIT/mm3 (females) (%) | 0.23 ± 0.1 (0.57 ± 0.2) n = 7 |
0.04 ± 0.03 (0.15 ± 0.1) n = 13 |
0.037 |
| IFN-γ+/IL-17A+ MAIT/mm3 (all) (%) | 0.08 ± 0.05 (0.17 ± 0.07) n = 18 |
0.04 ± 0.03 (0.14 ± 0.05) n = 17 |
0.06 |
| IFN-γ+/IL-17A+ MAIT/mm3 (males) (%) | 0.02 ± 0.03 (0.05 ± 0.02) n = 11 |
0.013 ± 0.01 (0.01 ± 0.02) n = 4 |
0.027 |
| IFN-γ+/IL-17A+ MAIT/mm3 (females) (%) | 0.18 ± 0.1 (0.35 ± 0.17) n = 7 |
0.045 ± 0.04 (0.15 ± 0.14) n = 13 |
0.01 |
Results [mean ± SEM] are given as absolute number of cells per mm3 (cells/mm3) and percentage (%). The number (n) of subjects who were evaluated for each cell subset is also given. Absolute number of the different T cell subsets, cytokine-secreting T cell subsets, and MAIT cells was obtained by multiplying the specific cell subset percentages by the total lymphocyte number.
*p Values are given for comparison of absolute number of T cells subsets between AS and HC. Statistically significant data are written in bold font.
aOf note, MAIT cells which express the CD8 marker are included in the analyzed CD8+ T cell population. MAIT cells are not excluded, since they represent a low percentage of circulating CD8+ T cells compared with conventional CD8+ T cells (2.6 ± 0.4 or 4.5 ± 0.8% MAIT cells vs. 42.2 ± 2.2 or 38.9 ± 1.9% total CD8+ T cells) in AS patients or HC, respectively.