Methylprednisolone pulse therapy promotes the differentiation of regulatory T cells by inducing the apoptosis of CD4+ T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To investigate the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) induced by methylprednisolone (MP) pulse therapy in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). We enrolled 30 patients with SLE and analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) before and after MP pulse therapy. Peripheral Tregs, apoptosis of PBMCs subsets, and TGFβ production by monocytes was quantified by flow cytometry. Proliferation and IFN-γ production of CD4+ T cells were measured. Furthermore, TGFβ1 production by human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) stimulated with MP-treated CD4+ T cells were quantified by ELISA. Peripheral Tregs was significantly increased after MP pulse therapy (6.76 ± 1.46% vs. 3.82 ± 1.02%, p