Clinical and serological findings associated with the expression of ITGAL, PRF1, and CD70 in systemic lupus erythematosus

We determined the expression of Integrin alpha L chain (ITGAL), Perform I (PRF1), and CD70 and studied the associations with laboratory and clinical parameters. CD4(+) T cells were isolated from 35 SLE patients and 30 healthy controls. The transcript levels of ITGAL, PRF1, and CD70 were quantified by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The SLE patients had significantly elevated transcript levels of ITGAL (18.61 +/- 22.17 vs. 7.33 +/- 9.17, p=0.042), PRF1 (21.67 +/- 26.34 vs. 10.67 +/- 11.65, p=0.039), and CD70 (1.45 +/- 1.63 vs. 0.67 +/- 0.28, p=0.011). Patients with anti-microsomal and/or anti-thyroglobulin antibodies showed high levels of ITGAL (33.41 +/- 30.14 vs. 13.58 +/- 16.43, p=0.044; and 34.01 +/- 27.66 vs. 11.90 +/- 16.17, p=0.007, respectively). No association was seen either for the typical antibodies of SLE or for the disease activity. Although ITGAL, PRF1, and CD70 are overexpressed in SLE CD4+ T cells, their expression is not linked to the typical clinical and serological parameters associated with the disease. The role that ITGAL may play in autoimmune thyroiditis deserves further investigation.