Journal of microbiology, immunology, and infection = Wei mian yu gan ran za zhi | 2019
Characterization of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood cells of children with EV71 infection.
Abstract
BACKGROUND\nEnterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of the major causative pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). Immune cells play a critical role in determining the outcomes of virus infection. We aimed to characterize the lymphocyte subsets and transcriptional levels of T lymphocytes-associated transcription factors in peripheral blood cells of children with EV71 infection.\n\n\nMETHODS\nPeripheral blood samples from 32 children with EV71 infection and 32 control subjects were included in this study. The frequencies of T-, B-lymphocytes, and their subsets were determined by flow cytometry. The expression of transcription factors, including T-bet, Gata3, ROR γ t, Foxp3, TCF-1, and BCL-6 in the whole blood cells were evaluated by real-time reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe frequencies of T cells, helper T cells (Th), cytotoxic T cells (Tc), IFN-γ+ Th1, IFN-γ+ Tc1, and regulatory T (Treg) cells were significantly decreased (P\xa0<\xa00.01) in children with EV71 infection. As for IL-4+ Th2, IL-4+ Tc2, IL-17+ Th17, IL-17+ Tc17, follicular helper T cells (Tfh), CD3+CD8+IL-21+ T cells, CD19+ B cells, and CD19+IL-10+ B10\xa0cells, their frequencies were significantly increased in the EV71 group (P\xa0<\xa00.01). The EV71 group had lower mRNA expressions of T-bet, Gata3, and Foxp3 than the control group (P\xa0<\xa00.05), whereas the expressions of ROR γ t, TCF-1, and BCL-6 showed no significant difference between two groups.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nEV71 infection in children caused a decreased frequency of total Th, Tc and Treg cells, and increased percentages of B cell, Th2 and Th17\xa0cells in blood.