STATUS OF CELLULAR IMMUNITY IN ANEMIA OF CHRONIC DISEASES OF DIFFERENT GENESIS
Dygay A.M., Surzhikova G.S., Klochkova-Abelyants S.A.
Goldberg Scientific Research Institute of
Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Center
of Russian Academy of Science,
Novokuznetsk
State Institute of Postgraduate Medicine, the branch of Russian Medical Academy
of Continuous Professional Education, Novokuznetsk, Russia
Anemic
syndrome is one of the most common hematologic disorders in patients with acute
of chronical activation of the immune system after various infectious and
non-infectious diseases [1, 2, 3]. According to the modern ideas, such types of
anemia are defined as anemia of chronic disease (ACD) [1, 3, 4]. The rate of ACD
in acute and chronical infections varies within 18-95 %, for autoimmune
diseases – 8-71 %, for chronic renal diseases – 23-50 % [2, 5]. The role of anemia
in such patients is often underestimated, but it often causes the
unsatisfactory quality of life including easy fatigability, irritancy, sleep
disorder and depression. During long period of the inflammatory process ACD can
cause some difficulties for differential diagnostics of iron deficiency anemia
and for further treatment.
ACD is the
immune regulated condition, when bacterial lipopolysaccharides and cytokines
induce the changes in iron homeostasis, disturb the production of erythropoetin
and inhibit the proliferation of erythroid precursor-cells. One of the
pathogenetic mechanisms of ACD is redistribution of iron into the cells of the
macrophageal system, which is activated in various inflammatory (infectious and
non-infectious) or tumoral processes [3]. At the same time, there are some
issues concerning the participation of the individual links of immunity in the
pathogenesis of ACD. Regulatory T-cells present the great interest during the
recent years. They play the significant role in immune suppression and regulate
T-cell homeostasis [6, 7, 8, 9].
The objective of the present study was estimation of the subpopulation composition of
lymphocytes in ACD of various origin.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study included
276 women (age of 16-60). 79 patients were almost healthy and were included
into the control group. Anemia of chronic disease was identified in 197 cases.
125 women demonstrated anemia at the background of the autoimmune diseases of
connective tissue (rheumatoid arthritis), 72 – anemic of chronic diseases in
bacterial infections (chronic tonsillitis, bacterial endocarditis, chronic pyelonephritis).
The
research was conducted in concordance with the articles of the constitution of
the Russian Federation, item No.32 of the Foundations of the Russian
legislation about health protection in the population, Helsinki Declare of
World Health Organization – the Recommendations for doctors dealing with
biomedical research with human subjects. The study protocol was approved by the
ethical committee of Novokuznetsk State Institute of Postgraduate Medicine.
Before the study all participants signed the written consent confirmed by the
ethical committee. The exclusion criteria were the age < 16 or > 60,
other types of anemia, presence of malignant diseases, refusal from
participation.
The study
techniques included estimation of the peripheral link of erythron, iron
metabolism and the subpopulation composition of lymphocytes. The values of the
peripheral link of erythron were estimated with the hematological analyzer
ADVIA 60 with assessment of the morphofunctional values of red blood cells. The
microcytic anemia factor (MAF) was calculated with the formula: MAF = Hb × MCV
/ 100. The quantitative estimation of serum iron and total iron binding
capacity (TIBC) was conducted with the ferrozine technique with use of the
diagnostic tests of TECO company (USA) with subsequent calculation of latent
iron-binding capacity (LIBC) and the transferrin saturation ratio (TSR). The
iron volume was estimated with the level of serum ferritin (SF), which was
measured with the immune enzyme technique with use of the test systems from
Orgentec diagnostika (Germany). The lymphocyte subpopulations were measured
with flow cytofluorometry with use of the multicolor analysis and the following
combinations of the antibodies conjugate with the fluorescent colors (Becman
Coulter, USA): CD8(FITC)/CD4(PE)/CD3(ICD), CD16(PC7), CD19(PC5),
CD3(FITC)/CD16/56(PE), CD3(FITC)/HLA-DR(PE). The immunoregulatory index (IRI)
was estimated with the formula: IRI = CD4 / CD8. Localization of T-regulatory
cells was performed with the following set of the monoclonal antibodies: CD3(FITC),
CD4(PС7), CD25(PС5), CD127(PE) with the flow cytometer Сytomics FC 500 (Beckman Coulter, USA). Multicolor
staining and multi-staged gating allow the multiparameter analysis of the immunocompetent
cells of peripheral blood with high accuracy and reliability. The sample
preparation of peripheral blood was conducted with the non-washing technique
with use of lysing and fixing reagents ImmunoPrep Reagent System and the
automatic working station TQ-PREP (Beckman Coulter, USA). The population of
lymphocytes was separated by means of heterogenic gating according to the
parameters of forward scattering (FS) and side scattering (SS) which correlated
with the morphological features of the cells. The histograms of FS and SS
showed the easy localization of the cells of lymphocytic, monocytic and
granulocytic links of differentiation, with non-overlaying their zones. It
allowed using this approach for introduction of the logical limitations (gates)
with the morphological signs – sizes (FS) and granularity (SS).
The
statistical analysis of the data was conducted with MS-EXCEL, MS-WORD, BIOSTAT,
Version 4.03. The results of the studies were estimated with analysis of
variance. Student’s test was used for estimation of reliability of the results
of the study. Normal distribution was measured with Shapiro-Wilk test. The
prepared data was presented as mean values (M) and error in mean (m) for each
value. The critical level of significance (p) was 0.05.
RESULTS
Hypochromic microcytic anemia was identified during the examination of the values of the peripheral link of erythron in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in the patients with chronic infectious-inflammatory processes (table 1).
Table 1. The values of peripheral link of erythron and ferrokinetics in anemia of chronic diseases
Index |
Control group |
Anemia of chronic diseases in infectious-inflammatory processes |
Anemia of chronic diseases in rhematoid arthritis |
P value |
1 |
2 |
3 |
||
RBC, ×10¹²/l |
4.2 ± 0.05 |
3.2 ± 0.28 * |
3.5 ± 0.13 * |
р1-2 = 0.001 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.350 |
||||
HGB, g/l |
135.9 ± 3.08 |
91.0 ± 7.55 * |
103.0 ± 3.87 * |
р1-2 = 0.001 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.160 |
||||
HCT, % |
36.9 ± 1.1 |
25.4 ± 2.89 * |
27.0 ± 1.35 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.613 |
||||
MCV, fl |
89.2 ± 1.38 |
76.0 ± 3.88 * |
76.7 ± 2.99 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.891 |
||||
MCH, pg |
33.2 ± 0.31 |
26.8 ± 1.97 * |
27.9 ± 1.22 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.609 |
||||
MCHC, g/dl |
37.4 ± 0.55 |
34.1 ± 0.89 * |
35.2 ± 0.047 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.212 |
||||
RDW, % |
11.1 ± 0.11 |
16.5 ± 0.92 * |
15.6 ± 0.62 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.399 |
||||
MAF |
121.1 ± 2.32 |
69.2 ± 1.95 * |
78.9 ± 2.21 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.003 |
Note: * – reliability of differences in values as compared to the control group.
The mean
volume of red blood cells and the mean volume of hemoglobin in red blood cells in
the patients with ACD, RA and the infectious-inflammatory processes were
significantly lower than the similar values in the healthy individuals (p =
0.000), and the level of erythrocyte anisocytosis was significantly higher as
compared to the similar values in the control group (p = 0.000). Moreover, the
degree of anisocytosis was most intense in the patients with ACD and the
infectious-inflammatory processes (the table 1). MAF was 78.9 ± 2.21 and 69.2 ±
1.96 in the patients with ACD, RA and the infectious-inflammatory processes and
121.1 ± 2.32 in the control group (p = 0.000).
The
patients with ACD with the infections-inflammatory diseases and in the
autoimmune diseases of connective tissue (rheumatoid arthritis) showed the
significantly lower levels of serum iron, total iron binding capacity and
transferrin saturation as compared to the control group (table 2).
Table 2. The values of ferrokinetics in anemia of chronic diseases of different origin
Index |
Control group |
Anemia of chronic diseases in infectious-inflammatory processes |
Anemia of chronic diseases in rhematoid arthritis |
P value |
1 |
2 |
3 |
||
Serum iron, mcM/l |
20.4 ± 1.02 |
11.1 ± 1.9 * |
9.5 ± 1.0 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.472 |
||||
TIBC, mcM/l |
65.7 ± 1.83 |
53.2 ± 4.5 * |
49.7 ± 6.56 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.653 |
||||
LIBC, mcM/l |
44.5 ± 1.87 |
42.9 ± 4.38 |
38.4 ± 8.02 |
р1-2 = 0.734 |
р1-3 = 0.460 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.624 |
||||
Transferrin saturation ratio, % |
32.3 ± 1.84 |
14.9 ± 2.73 * |
16.7 ± 2.02 * |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.002 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.608 |
||||
SF, ng/ml |
33.55 ± 2.59 |
178.6 ± 75.52 |
238.4 ± 64.16 |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.548 |
Note: * – reliability of differences in values as compared to the control group
Therefore,
the values of ferrokinetics and the erythron condition in the
infectious-inflammatory processes and the autoimmune diseases of connective
tissue demonstrate the functional deficiency of iron, when iron is blocked in
macrophages and erythron incurs the iron deficiency that is indicated by
hypochromic and monocytic pattern of anemia.
The results
of the examination of the immune status in anemia with rheumatoid arthritis
showed the decrease in the total amount of CD3+СD19-lymphocytes in peripheral blood by means of the
population of CD3+CD4+-cells as compared to the healthy individuals (p =
0.000). The average level of CD3+CD4+ was 40.8 ± 2.46 % in the patients with RA
and anemia and it was significantly lower than the similar value in the healthy
individuals – 52.2 ± 1.65 % (p = 0.000). The average level of cytotoxic
CD3+CD8+-cells was 27.6 ± 2.82 % in the patients with RA and anemia and it did
not differ significantly from the values in the healthy individuals (p = 0.667).
The immune regulatory index (IRI) was 1.46 ± 0.05 and was lower as compared to
the control group (p = 0.000). The estimation of CD3-CD(16+/56+)-lymphocytes
showed the decrease in in the level of this population in peripheral blood as
compared to the healthy individuals (p = 0.009) (table 3).
Table 3. The subpopulation composition of peripheral blood lymphocytes in anemia of chronic diseases of different origin
Value |
Control group |
Anemia of chronic diseases in rhematoid arthritis |
Anemia of chronic diseases in infectious-inflammatory processes |
P value |
1 |
2 |
3 |
||
Leukocytes, ×109/l |
6.7 ± 0.31 |
5.9 ± 0.38 * |
6.9 ± 0.28 |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.450 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.000 |
||||
Lymphocytes, % |
34.1 ± 0.82 |
31.4 ± 2.22 |
27.7 ± 0.97* |
р1-2 = 0.979 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.13 |
||||
Lymphocytes, ×109/l |
2.3 ± 0.09 |
1.9 ± 0.1* |
1.9 ± 0.22 |
р1-2 = 0.003 |
р1-3 = 0.083 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.8 |
||||
CD3+CD19-, % |
73.6 ± 1.22 |
69.9 ± 1.69 |
72.7 ± 1.11 |
р1-2 = 0.072 |
р1-3 = 0.598 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.183 |
||||
CD3+CD19-, ×109/l |
1.7 ± 0.06 |
1.3 ± 0.06* |
1.4 ± 0.05* |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.527 |
||||
CD3+CD4+, % |
52.2 ± 1.65 |
40.8 ± 2.46* |
44.5 ± 1.27* |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.001 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.168 |
||||
CD3+CD4+, ×109/l |
1.2 ± 0.07 |
0.8 ± 0.06* |
0.8 ± 0.05* |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.954 |
||||
CD3+CD8+, % |
26.3 ± 1.74 |
27.6 ± 2.82 |
27.5 ± 1.11 |
р1-2 = 0.667 |
р1-3 = 0.613 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.967 |
||||
CD3+CD8+, ×109/l |
0.6 ± 0.05 |
0.5 ± 0.04 |
0.5 ± 0.02 |
р1-2 = 0.257 |
р1-3 = 0.178 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.827 |
||||
CD3+HLA-DR+, % |
3.1 ± 0.9 |
10.4 ± 1.97* |
15 ± 0.62* |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.013 |
||||
CD3+HLA-DR+, ×109/l |
0.1 ± 0.01 |
0.2 ± 0.02*◊ |
0.3 ± 0.04*◊ |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.014 |
||||
CD3-CD16+56+, % |
9.8 ± 0.87 |
6.6 ± 0.6*◊ |
13.4 ± 0.92* |
р1-2 = 0.009 |
р1-3 = 0.008 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.000 |
||||
CD3-CD16+56+, ×109/l |
0.2 ± 0.03 |
0.1 ± 0.01*◊ |
0.3 ± 0.02 |
р1-2 = 0.01 |
р1-3 = 0.474 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.000 |
||||
CD3-CD19+, % |
9.6 ± 0.65 |
9.3 ± 0.79 |
9.0 ± 0.46 |
р1-2 = 0.734 |
р1-3 = 0.498 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.772 |
||||
CD3-CD19+, ×109/l |
0.2 ± 0.04 |
0.2 ± 0.03 |
0.2 ± 0.01 |
р1-2 = 0.473 |
р1-3 = 0.446 |
||||
р2-3 = 1.00 |
||||
IRI |
1.9 ± 0.08 |
1.5 ± 0.05* |
1.8 ± 0.13 |
р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.678 |
||||
р2-3 = 0.01 |
Note: * – reliability of differences in values as compared to the control group; ◊ - reliability of differences in persons with anemia of chronic diseases in RA as compared to the values in persons with anemia of chronic diseases in infectious-inflammatory processes
Patients
with anemia of chronic disease and the infectious-inflammatory processes
demonstrate the disbalance in the system of T-lymphocytes. The decrease in the
absolute amount of CD3+CD19-lymphocytes (as compared to the healthy
individuals) was associated with the significant reduction of lymphocytes
expressing CD4+-antigen, whereas the level of CD3+CD8+-lymphocytes and IRI did
not change significantly and did not vary from the healthy individuals. The
absolute amount of CD3-CD(16+/56+)-lymphocytes did not vary significantly in
the patients with anemia and the infectious-inflammatory processes as compared
to the healthy individuals (table 3).
The
intensity of the immune response is directly associated with activity of
various subpopulations of immune competent cells. The amount of T-lymphocytes
expressing the activation marker HLA-DR increased in the patients with ACD in
rheumatoid arthritis and in the infectious-inflammatory processes (table
3).
Our
examinations show that the highest increase in CD3+HLA-DR+-lymphocytes was
found in the patients with anemia of chronic disease with the
infectious-inflammatory processes (0.3 ± 0.04 × 109/l vs. 0.2 × 109/l
in the patients with ACD and RA, p = 0.014). The increased expression of HLA-DR
molecules shows the intensity and activity of the inflammatory process and it
distinguishes ACD in the infectious-inflammatory processes from ACD in RA.
The examination
of the levels of lymphocytes identified the significant decrease in the amount
of T-lymphocytes with the phenotype of T-reg cells (CD3+ CD4+CD25bright,
CD127dim-to-neg) in the patients with ACD at the background of RA. The level of
T-reg was 1.2 ± 0.08 % in the patients with RA and anemia and it was
significantly lower than the similar value in the healthy individuals (3.9 ±
0.06 %, p = 0.000) (table 4).
Table
4. The level of T-regulatory cells with phenotype CD3+ CD4+CD25bright, CD127dim-to-neg in peripheral blood in anemia of chronic diseases of different origin
Index |
Control group |
Anemia of chronic diseases in rhematoid arthritis |
Anemia of chronic diseases in infectious-inflammatory processes |
P value |
1 | 2 | 3 | ||
Leukocytes, ×109/l |
6.7 ± 0.31 | 5.9 ± 0.38 * | 6.9 ± 0.28 | р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.450 | ||||
р2-3 = 0.000 | ||||
Lymphocytes, % |
34.1 ± 0.82 | 31.4 ± 2.22 | 27.7 ± 0.97* | р1-2 = 0.979 |
р1-3 = 0.000 | ||||
р2-3 = 0.13 | ||||
ЛLymphocytes, ×109/l | 2.3 ± 0.09 | 1.9 ± 0.1* | 1.9 ± 0.22 | р1-2 = 0.003 |
р1-3 = 0.083 | ||||
р2-3 = 0.8 | ||||
Т-reg CD3+ CD4+CD25bright, CD127dim-to-neg,% |
3.9 ± 0.06 | 1.2 ± 0.08*◊ | 4.2 ± 0.11* | р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 0.000 | ||||
р2-3 = 0.000 | ||||
Т-reg CD3+ CD4+CD25bright, CD127dim-to-neg ×109/l |
0.1 ± 0.002 | 0.02 ± 0.003*◊ | 0.06 ± 0.001 | р1-2 = 0.000 |
р1-3 = 1.000 | ||||
р2-3 = 0.000 |
Note: * – reliability of differences in values as compared to the control group; ◊ - reliability of differences in persons with anemia of chronic diseases in RA as compared to the values in persons with anemia of chronic diseases in infectious-inflammatory processes
At the
modern stage, T-reg cells are considered as the main immune regulatory cells,
which are able to suppress the immune response types mediated by Th1- and
Th2-lymphocytes [2, 6]. The significant decrease in the amount of CD3+ CD4+ CD25bright
and CD127dim-to-neg-lymphocytes in the patients with ACD and RA shows the
activity of the immune inflammatory process in rheumatoid arthritis that is
associated with disappearance or attenuation of the restricting function of
T-reg cells in relation to the autospecific clones of T-cells.
There are
some findings about the role of T-reg lymphocytes in development of
autotolerance and suppression of excessive inflammatory response in various
autoimmune diseases [6, 10]. Our results concerning the decrease in T-reg cells
in the patients with ACD at the background of RA show the significance of T-reg
in development of the immune inflammatory process in RA and in development of
anemic syndrome.
The level
of T-regulatory lymphocytes tended to increase in the patients with anemic
syndrome in the infectious-inflammatory diseases, but the absolute amount did
not vary significantly from the healthy individuals.
CONCLUSION
The patients with anemia of chronic disease demonstrate the evident changes in the cellular link of immunity that testified the disbalance in the system of T-cells in combination with suppressed level of natural (mediated by NK-cells) cytotoxicity in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The level of regulatory T-cells, which are important for suppressing excessive inflammatory response and autotolerance, significantly decreases in ACD at the background of RA. It can be the predictor of development of anemic syndrome.
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