Differential expression of T-cell genes in blood and bone marrow between ITP patients and controls

Margareta Jernås; Intawat Nookaew; Hans Wadenvik; Bob Olsson

doi:10.1160/TH12-07-0468

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 2013; 109(01): 112-117
DOI: 10.1160/TH12-07-0468

Platelets and Blood Cells

Schattauer GmbH

Differential expression of T-cell genes in blood and bone marrow between ITP patients and controls

Margareta Jernås

¹Department of Internal Medicine, the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

,

Intawat Nookaew

²Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden;

,

Hans Wadenvik

¹Department of Internal Medicine, the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

,

Bob Olsson

³Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Summary

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterised by premature platelet destruction in spleen, liver and bone marrow and a diminished production of platelets. T-cells are important in all forms of autoimmunity including ITP; however, very little is known about T-cells in organs where platelets are destroyed. Our aim was to investigate differences in gene expression in peripheral blood-derived T-cells and bone marrow-derived T-cells between ITP patients and controls. T-cells and subsequent RNA were isolated from blood and bone marrow from chronic ITP patients and healthy controls followed by DNA microarray analysis. There were 1554 differentially expressed genes in peripheral blood-derived T-cells and 976 in bone marrow-derived T-cells between ITP patients and controls and three genes were verified with real-time PCR. Using Gene Ontology functional enrichment analysis we found that genes involved in growth, development, migration, chemotaxis, adhesion and apoptosis were enriched in bone marrow-derived T-cells in ITP. Immune-related genes involved in T-helper cell differentiation, T-cell chemotaxis, migration, immunoglobulin-mediated immune response and classical and alternative pathway complement activation were also enriched in bone marrow-derived T-cells in ITP. Only 213 T-cell genes were differentially expressed in both blood and bone marrow between ITP patients and controls. In conclusion, our findings show that genes involved in major pathophysiologic pathways in ITP such as T-helper cell differentiation, autoantibody response and complement activation are altered in bone marrow-derived T-cells in ITP patients compared with controls. This further supports the concept that bone marrow is an important compartment in ITP.

Keywords

Autoimmunity - bone marrow - T-cell - cytotoxicity - gene expression

Full Text

References

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