Table 4.
Co-expression of CD4+ T cell surface marker/chemokine receptors in the peripheral blood (PB) and joint-derived samples (SF, SM)
| PB | SF | SM | p values | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB:SF | PB:SM | SF:SM | ||||
| n | 9 | 9 | 9 | |||
| CD4+ T cells | ||||||
| CXCR3+/CCR5+ | 2.6 (0.9–3.1) | 55.4 (53.1–74.9) | 67.2 (46.9–88.9) | 0.003** | 0.008** | 0.678 |
| CCR3−/CCR4− | 0.6 (0.3–1.0) | 31.5 (16–40.1) | 5.8 (1.1–18.0) | 0.008** | 0.021* | 0.051 |
| CCR3− | 1.0 (0.5–2.1) | 33.8 (18.2–50.9) | 12.4 (6.1–27.2) | 0.008** | 0.008** | 0.066 |
| CCR4− | 1.1 (0.4–1.3) | 47.9 (27.8–52.2) | 12.6 (3.8–28.6) | 0.008** | 0.011* | 0.021* |
| CCR3+/CCR4+ | 14.9 (7.7–17.6) | 12.0 (4.9–15.5) | 48.4 (8.5–78.2) | 0.593 | 0.051 | 0.038* |
| CXCR3−/CCR5− | 11.2 (6.0–13.0) | 0.14 (0.1–1.0) | 0.08 (0–0.6) | 0.008** | 0.008** | 0.594 |
| CCR5− | 14.3 (6.8–15.4) | 1.2 (0.3–2.5) | 2.0 (1.1–5.3) | 0.008** | 0.011* | 0.260 |
| CXCR3− | 11.8 (6.2–14.5) | 1.4 (0.6–4.2) | 2.1 (0–3.1) | 0.028* | 0.011* | 0.767 |
| CD161+/CCR6+ | 3.2 (2.4–6.1) | 12.2 (5.3–14.7) | 16.8 (5.0–34.2) | 0.003** | 0.021* | 0.594 |
| CCR4− | 1.2 (0.9–8.7) | 5.1 (3.0–8.7) | 2.2 (0.7–3.7) | 0.011* | 0.314 | 0.139 |
Sample number and percentage rates of CD4+ T cells stained double-positive for CXCR3 and CCR5 (preferentially expressed by Th1 cells), CCR3 and CCR4 (preferentially expressed by Th2 cells), and CCR6 and CD161 (preferentially expressed by Th17 cells) are shown for the peripheral blood (PB), synovial fluid (SF), and synovial membrane (SM) of patients with early knee OA. Further, percentage rates of double-positive CD4+ T cells (CD4+CXCR3+CCR5+ Th1, CD4+CCR3+CCR4+ Th2, CD4+CD161+CCR6+ Th17) being also negative for the surface markers of the respective other T cell subtype are listed. Data is shown as median (IQR). Significant differences are marked with asterisks: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001