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Peripheral cells from patients with systemic sclerosis disease co-expressing M1 and M2 monocyte/macrophage surface markers: Relation to the degree of skin involvement

Research Authors
Mona Embarek Mohamed, Rania M Gamal, Mohamed A El-Mokhtar, Alaa Thabet Hassan, Hanan Sayed M Abozaid, Abeer M Ghandour, Sahar Abdelmoez A Ismail, Hosam A Yousef, Eman H El-Hakeim, Yasmine S Makarem, Ahmed Abdellatif Awad
Research Date
Research Journal
Human Immunology
Research Publisher
Elsevier
Research Year
2021
Research Abstract

The monocyte/macrophage lineage cells were found involved in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis
(SSc) disease. The naïve macrophages are activated either to M1 cells with proinflammatory roles or to
M2 cells that function to resolve inflammation with tissue repair. Recently, cells with dual phenotypes
were detected in SSc disease. So, we aimed in this study to demonstrate different monocyte/macrophage
phenotypes in peripheral cells from a group of Egyptian SSc patients, correlating percentages of these
cells with the clinical findings in patients.
The study participants comprised 41 patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc disease and 25 healthy individuals
as controls. Clinical, radiological, and laboratory tests were conducted for SSc patients. Different
phenotypes of the monocyte/macrophage subsets were identified in peripheral blood of patients and controls
by flow cytometry for characteristic M1 (CD80, CD86, and TLR4) and M2 (CD204, CD163 and CD206)
markers.
SSc patients showed higher percentages of peripheral cells of the M1, M2, and mixed M1/M2 phenotypes
within the monocyte/macrophage lineage compared to controls. Different cell phenotypes were
associated significantly with the disease duration, modified Rodnan’s score, the Medsger skin score,
and the Medsger lung in SSc patients. Some cells with the M1/M2 phenotypes were higher in SSc patients
with pitting scars, arthritis, and myalgia.