Elucidation of a treatment strategy focused on the function of regulatory T cells to achieve an improvement process of sarcoidosis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K08147
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: Oita University
• Principal Investigator: Ando Masaru 大分大学, 医学部, 客員研究員 (20336267)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: サルコイドーシス / 制御性T細胞 / サルコイドーシス重症度 / サルコイドーシス予後

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined the mechanisms of the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels of cytokines and soluble cell markers to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the improvement in patients with sarcoidosis. The serum levels of Foxp3, which is considered to be a cell marker of regulatory T cells did not differ between the improvement group and the other group (no change/exacerbation/treatment with prednisolone). Weak correlation was observed between the serum levels of Foxp3 and BALF CCL20, and between Foxp3 and serum CCR6. When the improvement/no change and exacerbation/treatment groups were compared, the serum levels of CCL20, ACE, lysozyme and sIL-2R were higher in the exacerbation/treatment group. Thus, CCL20 may be a new surrogate biomarker for predict disease severity in patients with sarcoidosis.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

サルコイドーシスは、自然に改善するものから、ステロイドや免疫抑制剤を必要とする難治性のものまで病勢が多彩である。肉芽腫形成を抑制する機序として制御性T細胞の関与があるものと仮説をたてた。本研究では制御性T細胞の細胞マーカーsFOXP-3の発現は改善群とその他の群で有意差がみられなかった。今回の検討では明らかにできなかったが、制御性T細胞及びその細胞が関与する分子が肉芽腫の退縮機序に関与することが明らかになれば、難治性サルコイドーシスの新たな治療法の開発の一助となる。