Detection of Toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR4) expression and apoptosis of lymphocytes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

The expression levels of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells surface Toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR4), the quantity of B lymphocyte subgroups, and the number of apoptosis lymphocyte in peripheral blood were detected to investigate their implication in the occurrence and development of ankylosing spondylitis and propose a new system for monitoring patients and therapeutic strategies. We analyzed the peripheral blood specimens stemming from 67 Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and 30 healthy individuals through flow cytometry. Two reagents, FITC TLR2 and PE-TLR4, were used for the detection of expression levels of TLR2 and TLR4 while APC-CD19 and PE-CD5 were used in the enumeration of different B lymphocytes subgroups. For the detection of lymphocytes apoptosis, we employed FITC and streaming Annexin-v/PI method. The expression levels of peripheral blood mononuclear cells surface TLR2 and TLR4 appeared unusually high in the patients with AS and was not associated with disease activity. Similarly, there were abnormal changes in the amount of B lymphocytes subset in the patients with AS. The amount of apoptosis lymphocytes in peripheral blood were reduced in AS patients which was correlated with the abnormal increase of CD19+ and CD19+CD5+ B lymphocytes. Apoptosis Lymphocytes as well as the amount of CD19+ and CD19+CD5+ B lymphocytes were all associated with AS disease activity. The present study provided new insights into the physiopathology and the pathogenesis of AS disease and suggested new strategies for the monitoring and treatment of AS patients.