Th1/Th2 balance of peripheral T helper cells in systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective, To analyze the Th1/Th2 balance of peripheral Th cells in patient s,vith systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Methods. The Th1:Th2 ratio was analyzed in 3 groups: SLE without proteinuri a (group I; n = 23), SLE with proteinuria (group II; n = 31), and normal co ntrols (group III; n = 24), Group II patients who had undergone renal biops y were classified into 3 subgroups based on their renal histopathologic fin dings. The intracellular cytokine detection method with flow cytometry was used to quantitate Th1 and Th2 cells. Results. There was no difference in the mean Th1:Th2 ratio between SLE pati ents (groups I and II) and healthy controls (group III). However, the mean value in group II was significantly higher than those in groups I and III. Moreover, within group II, the mean value in SLE patients who had diffuse p roliferative lupus nephritis (World Health Organization class IV) was espec ially high. Conclusion. Although SLE has been considered to be a disease in which Th2 c ells predominate, the Th1/Th2 balance of peripheral Th cells in SLE patient s in the present study did not show a predominance of these cells, In contr ast, among SLE patients with WHO class TV lupus nephritis, there was a stro ng predominance of Th1.