BACKGROUND T follicular helper (Tfh) cells play a control role in contribution of B cell differentiation and antibody production. T follicular regulatory (Tfr) cells inhibit Tfh-B cell interaction. METHODS To identify whether circulating Tfh (cTfh) and Tfr (cTfr) cells contribute to chronic renal allograft dysfunction (CAD), 67 kidney transplant recipients (34 recipients with CAD, 33 recipients with stable function) were enrolled. The frequency of cTfh and cTfr cells, the level of serum CXCL13 were measured. RESULTS The frequency of cTfr cells in CAD group was significantly lower than that in stable group (0.31% vs 0.68%, P = 0.002). The cTfh to cTfr ratio in CAD group was significantly higher than that in stable group (55.4 vs 25.3, P = 0.013). Serum CXCL13 in CAD group was significantly higher than stable group (30.4 vs 21.9 ng/ml, P = 0.025). After linear regression analysis, the cTfh to cTfr ratio was an independent risk factor for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in recipients (standardized coefficient = - 0.420, P = 0.012). After logistic regression analysis, the cTfh to cTfr ratio was an independent risk factor for CAD (OR = 1.043, 95%CI = 1.004-1.085, P = 0.031). CONCLUSION The imbalance between cTfh and cTfr cells contribute to the development of CAD.

中文翻译：

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一项长期研究表明，在慢性同种异体肾功能不全患者中，循环Tfh与Tfr的比率增加。

背景技术T卵泡辅助细胞（Tfh）在B细胞分化和抗体产生的贡献中起着控制作用。T滤泡调节（Tfr）细胞抑制Tfh-B细胞相互作用。方法为了确定循环中的Tfh（cTfh）和Tfr（cTfr）细胞是否导致慢性肾移植功能障碍（CAD），共入选了67位肾移植受者（34位患有CAD的患者，33位功能稳定的接受者）。测量cTfh和cTfr细胞的频率，血清CXCL13的水平。结果CAD组cTfr细胞的频率明显低于稳定组（0.31％vs 0.68％，P = 0.002）。CAD组的cTfh与cTfr比率显着高于稳定组（55.4 vs 25.3，P = 0.013）。CAD组的血清CXCL13显着高于稳定组（30.4比21.9 ng / ml，P = 0.025）。经过线性回归分析后，cTfh与cTfr的比值是评估受体肾小球滤过率（eGFR）的独立危险因素（标准化系数=-0.420，P = 0.012）。经逻辑回归分析后，cTfh与cTfr的比率是CAD的独立危险因素（OR = 1.043，95％CI = 1.004-1.085，P = 0.031）。结论cTfh和cTfr细胞之间的不平衡促进了CAD的发展。