Epigenetically quantified immune cells in salivary glands of Sjogren's syndrome patients: a novel tool that detects robust correlations of T follicular helper cells with immunopathology.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate whether epigenetic cell counting represents a novel method to quantify immune cells in salivary glands of patients with different forms of Sjögren's and sicca syndrome and to capture immunopathology and potentially aid in diagnosis.

Methods

DNA from frozen salivary gland tissue sections of sicca patients was used for bisulphite conversion of demethylated DNA cytosine residues, followed by cell-specific quantitative PCR to calculate cell percentages in relation to total tissue cell numbers as quantified by housekeeping gene demethylation. The percentages of epigenetically quantified cells were correlated to RNA expression of matched salivary gland tissue and histological and clinical parameters.

Results

The percentages of epigenetically quantif

SUBMITTER: Blokland SLM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7032543 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature