CD38 over-Expression in CD8 Positive Cells Defines a Group of Patients with SLE Prone to Infections

Lama Mulki¹, Abel Suarez-Fueyo¹, Eri Katsuyama¹, Vasileios C. Kyttaris¹ and George C Tsokos², ¹Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, Boston, MA, ²Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, Boston, MA

Meeting: 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Keywords: CD8 cells, SLE and infection

Session Information

Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Title: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – Etiology and Pathogenesis Poster III

Session Type: ACR Poster Session C

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: It has been previously shown by our laboratory that CD38 gene expression is increased in the peripheral blood T cell from patients with SLE. The purpose of the current study is to further investigate the overexpression of CD38 in T cells from patients with SLE and seek correlations with clinical parameters.

Methods: T cells CD38 surface expression was analyzed from patients with SLE (n=37) by flow cytometry. Student T-test was used for statistical analyses. The relationship of CD38 surface expression and clinical parameters from patients with SLE (SLE disease activity, medications, infections rate) was analyzed using Pearson’s or chi-squared test. Data is expressed as mean ± SEM.

Results: CD38 surface expression was found to be higher in SLE CD8⁺ T cells (30% ± 3, n=37) compared to normal controls (18.7% ±1, n=18, p<0.001) but not in SLE CD4⁺ T cells (36.8% ± 3, n=18) vs. (36.9% ± 2.3, n=36, p ns) respectively. Interestingly, within SLE patients, CD38 levels of expression identified two subpopulations of CD8⁺ cells those with high (>mean+2SD of normal values) and those with low expression. Patients with SLE who expressed a higher percentages of CD8⁺CD38⁺ cells were more prone to infections (p<0.0001) most of which were of viral origin. Also, they had low WBC counts (p<0.01). We did not notice a correlation with disease activity or exposure to prednisone. Interestingly, none of the patients with high percentages of CD8⁺CD38⁺ cells were receiving Mycophenolate whereas 6 of 16 with low percentages were receiving Mycophenolate. In 12 patients with SLE patients, CD8⁺CD38⁺ cells were evaluated repeatedly over time but we failed to detect significant variation or association with disease activity.

Conclusion: We have identified a subpopulation of patients with SLE who have higher percentages of CD8⁺CD38⁺ cells and increased rates of infections. We propose that CD38 expression on CD8⁺ T cells can be used as a biomarker to identify patients with SLE who have an increased risk of infections.

Disclosure: L. Mulki, None; A. Suarez-Fueyo, None; E. Katsuyama, None; V. C. Kyttaris, None; G. C. Tsokos, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Mulki L, Suarez-Fueyo A, Katsuyama E, Kyttaris VC, Tsokos GC. CD38 over-Expression in CD8 Positive Cells Defines a Group of Patients with SLE Prone to Infections [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018; 70 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/cd38-over-expression-in-cd8-positive-cells-defines-a-group-of-patients-with-sle-prone-to-infections/. Accessed .

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