Sex bias in generation and functional phenotypes of peripheral T follicular helper cells in schistosomiasis japonica

: ［摘要］ 目的 研究性别对日本血吸虫感染过程中滤泡辅助性T (Tfh) 细胞的数量和功能的影响。方法 选择安徽省池 州市血吸虫病流行区的血吸虫病患者50例, 以及来自该市非流行区的健康对照50名。采集上述研究对象外周血, 采用 流式细胞术检测不同性别日本血吸虫病患者和健康志愿者外周血中总Tfh细胞、ICOS+ Tfh细胞和PD-1+ Tfh细胞的比例, 并进行比较分析。结果 与健康男性及女性对照相比, 男、女性血吸虫病患者外周血中的总Tfh细胞比例 (U男= 149.0、 U女 = 39.5, P 均< 0.01) 、ICOS+ Tfh细胞比例 (t男 = 5.9, t女 = 7.7, P 均< 0.01) 、PD-1+ Tfh细胞比例 (t男 = 3.2、t女= 5.9, P 均< 0.01) 均升高, 差异均有统计学意义。进一步分析发现, 与男性患者相比, 女性患者外周血中的总Tfh细胞比例 (U = 187.5, P <0.05) 、ICOS+ Tfh细胞比例 (t = 3.2, P < 0.05) 、PD-1+ Tfh细胞比例 (t = 3.0, P < 0.05) 均升高, 差异均有统计学意义。结论 在日本血吸虫感染过程中, 性别因素可能在Tfh细胞的产生和活化中发挥了重要的作用。. METHODS: Totally 50 schistosomiasis patients were selected in the endemic areas of Chizhou City, Anhui Province, and totally 50 healthy people were selected in the non-endemic areas of Chizhou City as the controls. The peripheral bloods were collected from the above study subjects, and the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from male/female schistosomiasis japonica patients or healthy controls were collected into the sodium heparin tubes and purified by Ficoll-paque plus density gradient centrifugation. Then, the percentages of total Tfh cell, ICOS+ Tfh cells, and PD-1+ Tfh cells in the schistosomiasis male/female patients or healthy controls were evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with the male and female healthy controls, the frequency of the total Tfh cells (Umale = 149.0, Ufemale = 39.5, both P < 0.01), the percentages of PD-1+ Tfh cells (tmale = 5.9, tfemale = 7.7, both P < 0.01) and ICOS+ Tfh cells (tmale = 3.2, tfemale = 5.9, both P < 0.01) of the male and female patients with schistosomiasis increased, all the differences were statistically significant. The further analysis showed that the percentage of total Tfh cells (U = 187.5, P < 0.05), ICOS+ Tfh cells (t = 3.2, P < 0.05), and PD-1+ Tfh cells (t = 3.0, P < 0.05) of the female patients were markedly higher than those of the male patients, all the differences were also statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Sex may be a crucial role in the generation and function of Tfh cells in the process of Schistosoma japonicum infection.