Objectives To investigate the distinctive features of lymphocytes promoting inflammation in ulcerative colitis. Methods We performed flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and colorectal mucosa lymphocytes in ulcerative colitis patients ( n = 13) and control patients ( n = 5). Results CD62L+/CD3+CD4+ (35.7 ± 14.0% vs. 19.9 ± 6.4%) and CD62L+/CD3+CD4− cells (17.1 ± 17.4% vs. 2.4 ± 3.9%) were higher in the rectum of ulcerative colitis patients than in control patients. Subpopulation analysis revealed that CD45RA−CD62L+/CD3+CD4+, that is, central memory T cell fraction in CD4+ T cells, was significantly increased in the rectum of ulcerative colitis, compared to that in control patients (23.3 ± 10.5% vs. 8.2 ± 4.0%). Comparison of rectum and colon samples in ulcerative colitis patients indicated that CD56+/CD3+ was decreased in the rectum compared to that in the colon (11.3 ± 12.5% vs. 21.3 ± 16.5%). The ratio of CD56+/CD3+ was also decreased in the rectum of active ulcerative colitis patients compared to that in ulcerative colitis patients at the endoscopic remission stages (2.8 ± 1.7% vs. 18.5 ± 13.3%). Conclusion We demonstrated that CD62L+ T lymphocytes, particularly the CD45RA−CD62L+ T cell subset that represents central memory T cells, were increased in the rectum of patients with ulcerative colitis. In addition, the CD56+/CD3+ subset (natural killer T cells) was decreased in the rectum compared to that of less inflamed colonic mucosa. These results suggest that the enrichment of central memory T lymphocytes and the reduction of natural killer T cells in the gut mucosa are involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis.
Natural killer T cells are required for the development of a superantigen-driven T helper type 2 immune response in mice