Role of Circulating Cytotoxic Lymphocytes in Endothelial Cell Injury in Systemic Sclerosis

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is an auto-immune systemic disease characterized by vascular damage, cutaneous and visceral fibrosis and a dysimmune condition. Therapies in this disease remain insufficient and the complications resulting from organs involvement lead to strong morbi-mortality.The dermic infiltrate of the patients includes a strong proportion of Tcells. T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells are potentially involved in the vascular damage of the SSc. However mechanisms at the onset of this endothelial cytotoxicity and its impact on the capacities of regeneration of the endothelial tissue remain poorly understood. Fractalkine is at the same time an endothelial membrane-bound adhesion molecule and a chemokine which is able to bind CX3CR1 expressed by the immune populations. The purpose of the project is to define the role displayed by cytotoxic, circulating immune populations of SSc patients in endothelial cytotoxicity as well as the role of the axis Fractalkine / CX3CR1 in mediating the interactions between the immune cytotoxic cells and the endothelium.

Official Title
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Role of Circulating Cytotoxic Lymphocytes in Endothelial Cell Injury in Systemic Sclerosis

Conditions
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Scleroderma, Systemic

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: blood samples


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: patients affected by SSc of more than 18 years Healthy patients Exclusion Criteria: Impossibility to take some blood Current infection Ongoing cancer chemotherapy or a current radiotherapy pregnant or breast-feeding women

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patient<br>15 patients whose diagnosis of SSc is made according to the revised ACR/EULAR ( American College of Rheumatology ) criteria 2013 will be recruited and blood samples will be obtained | Other: blood samples<br>* one blood sample will be done for dosage and role of Fractalkine in the serum. - Functional study of the interactions between T cells and NK cells and / endothelial cells (HMVEC): immuno mediated endothelial cytotoxicity, endothelial activation and microparticles release by the HMVEC, endothelial progenitor cells analysis and evaluation of the endothelial lysis by fluorescence release.<br>|
| Other: healthy patient<br>15 healthy patients will be recruited and blood samples will be obtained | Other: blood samples<br>* one blood sample will be done for dosage and role of Fractalkine in the serum. - Functional study of the interactions between T cells and NK cells and / endothelial cells (HMVEC): immuno mediated endothelial cytotoxicity, endothelial activation and microparticles release by the HMVEC, endothelial progenitor cells analysis and evaluation of the endothelial lysis by fluorescence release.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| blood sample will be done for dosage of Fractalkine in the serum |  | 12 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| blood sample for functional study of the interactions between T cells and NK cells and / endothelial cells (HMVEC) |  | 12 months |