Function of T(reg) Cells Decreased in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Due To the Effect of Prolactin

Prolactin has different functions, including cytokine secretion and inhibition of the suppressor effect of regulatory T (T(reg)) cells in healthy individuals. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by defects in the functions of B, T, and T(reg) cells. Prolactin plays an important role in the physiopathology of SLE. Our objective was to establish the participation of prolactin in the regulation of the immune response mediated by T(reg) cells from patients with SLE. CD4(+)CD25(hi)CD127(−/low) cells were purified using magnetic beads and the relative expression of prolactin receptor was measured. The functional activity was evaluated by proliferation assay and cytokine secretion in activated cells, in the presence and absence of prolactin. We found that both percentage and function of T(reg) cells decrease in SLE patients compared to healthy individuals with statistical significance. The prolactin receptor is constitutively expressed on T(reg) and effector T (T(eff)) cells in SLE patients, and this expression is higher than in healthy individuals. The expression of this receptor differs in inactive and active patients: in the former, the expression is higher in T(reg) cells than in T(eff) cells, similar to healthy individuals, whereas there is no difference in the expression between T(reg) and T(eff) cells from active patients. In T(reg):T(eff) cell cocultures, addition of prolactin decreases the suppressor effect exerted by T(reg) cells and increases IFNγ secretion. Our results suggest that prolactin plays an important role in the activation of the disease in inactive patients by decreasing the suppressor function exerted by T(reg) cells over T(eff) cells, thereby favoring an inflammatory microenvironment.