Impaired CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell activity in the peripheral blood of patients with autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells exert an immune regulatory function and thus play an important role in the control of self-reactivity in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory conditions. The aim of the study presented here is to perform a quantitative and functional analyses of these cells in patients with autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL). T cell subsets (CD4+CD25+, CD4+CD25(high), CD4+, and CD8+) from the peripheral blood of 17 patients with ASNHL, 16 patients with noise induced hearing loss (NHL), and 100 normal controls were analyzed by flow cytometry. The CD4/CD8 ratio was also analyzed. In addition, the suppressive capability of CD4+CD25+ T cells was tested in vitro by measuring their ability to suppress the proliferation and IFN-gamma secretion of CD4+CD25- T cells. No significant difference was found in the T cell subsets of ASNHL patients compared to normal controls or NHL patients, except that the proportion of CD4+ T cells was elevated in ASNHL patients. However, we did observe defective regulatory function of CD4+CD25+ T cells in patients with ASNHL. Our data supported the idea that CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells played an immunosuppressive function in the periphery. The impaired suppressive activity of these cells may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of ASNHL.

The Role of Autoimmunity in the Pathogenesis of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

“…Xia et al used flow cytometry to analyze the clinical T cell subtypes in 17 patients with autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss, 16 patients with noise-induced hearing loss, and 100 individuals with normal hearing. There was no significant difference in the T cell subtypes among the three groups, except that the proportion of CD4 + T cells in the patients with sensorineural hearing loss increased and the function of CD4 + /CD25 + regulatory T cells was absent [ 55 ]. The above experimental animal models and clinical cases have confirmed that autoimmune hearing loss can be caused by cytotoxic T cell-mediated organ-specific autoimmune disorders of the inner ear.…”

Association of Psoriasis With Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…16,22 In the hearing system, once the peripheral or systemic immune response is activated, many immune cells are distributed in the inner ear, in which T cells were found residing in the organ of corti which helps auditory signals transduction. 23 The association between psoriasis and hearing loss is a hypothesis with rationale. Many studies have investigated the association of psoriasis with hearing loss but reported inconsistent results.…”