Immunohistochemical expression of regulatory T cells (CD4+ CD25+ bright FOXP3+) in pemphigus patients

Abstract Background Pemphigus is a series of autoimmune skin disorders caused by IgG. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of CD4+ T cells that mostly block pathogenic immune responses mediated by self‐reactive cells; therefore, a lack of Tregs or a malfunction in their activity could lead to a loss of tolerance and the development of autoimmunity. Aims To evaluate the expression of lesional and perilesional Treg markers (CD 4 + CD 25 + bright FOXP 3 + ) in pemphigus patients. Patients and methods Twenty‐three pemphigus patients and 20 healthy controls were included in this study. The expression of CD 4 , CD 25, and Foxp 3 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results There was statistically significant increase in CD4+ T lymphocytes in lesional skin of pemphigus compared to perilesional skin and control group ( p ‐value: 0.001). There was statistically significant decrease in CD25 + and Foxp3 + cells in lesional skin compared to perilesional and control group ( p ‐value: <0.001, 0.025, respectively). Conclusion The reduction of lesional skin Tregs may play an important role in the pemphigus pathogenesis.