Abstract:Objective To study the expressions and clinical significance of costimulatory molecules OX40 and its ligand OX40L in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods Blood samples of 94 AS patients (AS group) were collected from October 2017 to October 2019, including 52 stable patients and 42 active patients. 60 blood samples of healthy persons in the same period were taken as the control group. The PBMC was separated, and the expressions of OX40 and OX40L on CD4+ T cells and CD19+ B cells were detected by flow cytometry. The clinical examination data were collected, and the correlations between the expressions of OX40 and OX40L in PBMC and the levels of Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis functional index (BASFI), highsensitivity Creactive protein (hsCRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), globulin (GLB) in AS patients were analyzed by Spearman method.Results There was no significant difference in age, gender, BMI and smoking history between stable and active period AS groups and control group (P＞005). Compared with the control group, the level of hsCRP in serum, levels of WBC, N, ESR, GLB in peripheral blood, expression rates of OX40 on the surface of CD4+ T cells, OX40L on the surface of CD19+ B cells, and the scores of BASDAI and BASFI in the AS group increased successively (P＜0.05). The expression rate of CD4+ T/OX40 in peripheral blood was positively correlated with BASDAI, BASFI, hsCRP in serum, N and ESR in peripheral blood of AS patients (P＜0.05). The expression of CD19+ B/OX40L was positively correlated with BASDAI, BASFI, hsCRP in serum, N and ESR in peripheral blood of AS patients (P＜0.05). The expression of CD+4T/OX40,CD+19B/OX40L in peripheral blood was not significantly correlated with GLB (P＞0.05). Conclusion The expression of costimulatory molecule OX40/OX40L is increased in peripheral blood of as patients, which may be related to clinical stage and disease activity.
