Cytokine profile and immunological status of patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors:   Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, S.V.Kononova S.V.Kononova ,   Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow region, Russian Federation, T.Ya.Vakhitov T.Ya.Vakhitov ,   Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, I.V.Kudryavtsev I.V.Kudryavtsev ,   Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, N.M.Lazareva N.M.Lazareva ,   Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation,   Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, T.S.Sall T.S.Sall ,   Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, M.I.Skalinskaya M.I.Skalinskaya ,   Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation,   I.I.Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, I.G.Bakulin I.G.Bakulin ,   I.I.Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, A.I.Khavkin A.I.Khavkin ,   N.I.Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation,   Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation, S.I.Sitkin S.I.Sitkin ,   Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation,   I.I.Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation,   V.A.Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
Published: March 2022

Objective. The increase in the incidence and prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) continues to be a worldwide trend. Both T-helpers and produced cytokines, as well as other cells of the immune system, are involved in the immunopathogenesis of UC. The aim of this study was to explore the immunological status and cytokine profile in patients with UC. Since there are significant gender differences in an immune response in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), only men were included in this study. Patients and methods. 25 male patients with ulcerative colitis and 26 male healthy controls (HC) without IBD were enrolled in the study. T cell subsets were assessed by multicolor flow cytometry. Analysis of cytokines and chemokines in peripheral blood was performed by multiplex enzyme immunoassay. Results. The percentage of CD3+ T lymphocytes was significantly increased in UC patients compared with HC. In patients with UC, a decrease in the naive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Tcyt) and central memory (CM) Tcyt was revealed with a significant increase in the CD3+CD8+ highly differentiated Tcyt TEMRA (terminally differentiated CD45RA-positive effector memory T-cells). CM regulatory T cells (Treg) subpopulations showed a significant negative correlation with the severity of UC, reproduced in the CD73+CD39+ Treg and CD73–CD39+ Treg subpopulations. The proportion of T follicular helper 2 cells (Tfh2) in patients with UC was significantly increased compared to НС. Analysis of the cytokine profile showed a significant increase in the concentrations of interleukins IL-5, IL-7, IL-12, IL-10, and chemokines CCL3/MIP-1α, CXCL8/IL-8, CXCL11/I-TAC, and CX3CL1/Fractalkine. Conclusion. New data were obtained on significant changes in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes and cytokine profile in male patients with UC, which turned out to be more characteristic of the Th2 response. Changes in the subpopulation composition of circulating follicular T-helpers in UC were associated with a significant increase in the percentage of Tfh2, which can switch the class of antibodies synthesized by B-cells from IgM to IgG and IgA. In addition, a significant increase in plasma concentrations of the cytokine IL-7 and the chemokine CXCL11/I-TAC was shown in patients with UC. Key words: inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, T helper cell subsets, cytokines, chemokines