Rheumatology · 2 h ago
CD226⁺TIGIT⁺ MAIT cells relatively enriched in Sjögren’s disease
A flow-cytometry study of 35 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients and 34 matched healthy controls found a higher relative frequency of CD226⁺TIGIT⁺ MAIT cells in Sjögren’s disease. The cells were enriched within a reduced peripheral MAIT-cell compartment; exploratory analysis showed moderate case-control discrimination.
- Study included 35 treatment-naïve patients and 34 healthy controls.
- Relative frequency increased, but absolute subset counts did not.
- Total MAIT-cell counts were lower in Sjögren’s disease.
- Exploratory discrimination was moderate; further validation is needed.
Researchers used flow cytometry to characterize mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in peripheral blood from 35 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with Sjögren’s disease (SjD) and 34 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. They assessed CD226 and TIGIT co-expression across MAIT-cell subsets and examined additional surface markers, including CD152, LAMP1, Tim-3, CD62L and PD-1.
CD226⁺TIGIT⁺ MAIT cells had higher relative frequency in patients, particularly among CD4⁺ and double-positive MAIT subsets. Their estimated absolute count did not differ significantly between groups, while the estimated absolute count of total MAIT cells was lower in SjD. The findings therefore indicate relative enrichment within a contracted MAIT-cell compartment, not numerical expansion. The subset also showed higher CD152 and LAMP1 expression. Exploratory receiver operating characteristic analysis gave an area under the curve of 0.754 for total CD226⁺TIGIT⁺ MAIT-cell frequency.
The results identify a disease-associated cellular phenotype, but do not establish its functional or clinical value. The authors note that larger, clinically well-characterized cohorts are needed; the exploratory discrimination result does not establish a diagnostic test or support changes to clinical practice.
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Clinical Rheumatology: CD226⁺TIGIT⁺ MAIT cells exhibit an increased relative frequency and a checkpoint-enriched phenotype in Sjögren’s disease ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.