ELEVATED NUMBERS OF PERIPHERAL T-CELLS IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES DISPLAYING T9 ANTIGEN AND FC-ALPHA RECEPTORS

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 60  (3) , 518-524
Abstract
Elevated numbers of peripheral T cells expressing the activation associated antigen T9 are found in patients with active Crohn''s disease. Expression of T9 is found to be correlated to the activity of the disease. However, the presence of activated periphral T cells is not resticted to Crohn''s disease, but could also be found in other maladies with a supposed involvement of the immune system, e.g., ulcerative colitis, sarcoidosis, connective tissue disease and after organ transplantation. Significant elevation of the numbers of activated T cells could not be detected in cases of viral or bacterial enteritis and celiac disease. Analyzing the subset of T9 positive T cells with regard to the expression of Fc.alpha. receptors, a significantly increased number of Fc.alpha. receptor positive cells within the subset of T9 positive cells in the peripheral blood of patients with Crohn''s disease and ulcerative colitis was found, which could not be demonstrated in the case of other diseases analyzed in this study. Thus, the T9 + Fc.alpha. receptor + T cell subset may be considered to be pathognomonic for inflammatory bowel disease. Analysis of the regulatory properties of T9 positive cells, with regard to Ig isotype secretion in a pokeweed mitogen stimulated autologeous B cell assay, suggests that peripheral T9 positive T cells are involved in the suppression of IgA synthesis or secretion.