Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor A3 (LILRA3) in CD14(+) monocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Fifty three RA patients admitted in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from February 2017 to August 2017, and 21 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. The expression of LILRA3 in CD14(+) monocyte subset was determined by flow cytometry, and its correlations with clinical features, laboratory examination results, antibodies and disease activity were analyzed. RESULTS: LILRA3 percentage in the CD14(+) monocyte subset of RA patients was higher than that in the healthy controls (P<0.01). The percentage of LILRA3 was positively correlated with number of tenderness joints, number of swollen joints and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.280, 0.371, 0.341, P <0.05 or <0.01), but was not correlated with the age, course of disease, Sharp score, C reactive protein, blood routine index and immunoglobulin (all P>0.05). In addition, the percentages of LILRA3 in the monocytes of rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody-positive patients were significantly higher than those of the RF-or anti-CCP antibody-negative patients (all P < 0.05); and the percentage of LILRA3 in patients with DAS28>5.1 was higher than that in patients with DAS28 ≤ 5.1 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of LILRA3 is up-regulated in CD14(+) monocyte subset isolated from RA patients, and it is correlated with disease activity.