Table 2.
Comparison of Th17- and regulatory T cells-specific markers in peripheral CD4+ helper T cells
| Gate | Subpopulation | JIA | HC | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD4+ | CCR6+ | 8.01 ± 4.35 (7.25; 1.40–16.60) | 1.80 ± 0.90 (1.60; 0.90–3.20) | 0.011 |
| CD4+ | CD161+ | 7.06 ± 4.70 (6.30; 1.00–14.40) | 1.98 ± 1.19 (2.70; 0.40–2.90) | 0.011 |
| CD4+ |
CCR6+ CD161+ |
0.85 ± 0.60 (0.70; 0.20–1.80) | 0.08 ± 0.08 (0.10; 0.00–0.20) | 0.002* |
| CD4+ | RORγt+ | 0.58 ± 0.43 (0.45; 0.30–1.60) | 1.06 ± 0.53 (1.00; 0.50–1.70) | 0.045 |
| CD4+ | IL-17+ | 1.10 ± 0.79 (0.80; 0.50–2.90) | 0.24 ± 0.09 (0.30; 0.10–0.30) | 0.002* |
| CD4+RORγt+ | IL-17+ | 7.48 ± 3.74 (7.30; 2.20–13.10) | 2.54 ± 2.46 (1.00; 0.60–6.00) | 0.019 |
| CD4+ | FoxP3+ | 3.59 ± 1.82 (3.25; 1.70–6.50) | 2.26 ± 1.01 (2.30; 1.10–3.30) | 0.171 |
| CD4+FoxP3+ | IL-17+ | 3.10 ± 1.43 (2.85; 1.20–5.60) | 0.62 ± 0.23 (0.60; 0.40–1.00) | 0.002* |
| CD4+FoxP3+ |
CD25+ CD127− |
24.94 ± 10.79 (24.45; 8.30–41.20) | 24.00 ± 4.83 (22.40; 18.50–30.80) | 1.000 |
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assessed for Th17- and regulatory T cells (Treg)-characteristic markers by flow cytometry. Values of 5 healthy controls (HC) and 8 patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) were compared with Mann–Whitney-U-test. Data are presented as percentages in mean ± standard deviation (median; minimum—maximum). After correction for multiple comparison with Bonferroni correction the results marked with * remained statistically significant. Elevated proportions of Th17/Th1 switching cells as well as CD4+ and CD4+ FoxP3+ cells producing IL-17 were assessed in JIA patients compared to HC