Reduced CD4+,CD25− T cell sensitivity to the suppressive function of CD4+,CD25^high,CD127^−/low regulatory T cells in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

This study is the first to show that, in human SLE, impaired sensitivity of Tresp cells to the suppressive effects of a comparably functional, highly purified nTreg cell population leads to a defective suppression of T cell proliferation in active SLE. Studies aiming to define the mechanisms leading to Tresp cell resistance might help in the development of highly specific, alternative immunotherapeutic tools for the control of systemic autoimmune diseases such as SLE.