Deviations in Peripheral Blood Cell Populations are Associated with the Stage of Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Presence of Itching

To evaluate the role of Th17, Treg cells, activated T CD3+ and B CD19+ lymphocytes in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients. 40 female patients with PBC and 20 healthy donors were enrolled in this study. The percentages and absolute counts of Th17, Treg, activated T CD3+, B CD19+, NK, NKT-like lymphocytes were measured by flow cytometry. Our research revealed significantly lower frequencies and absolute counts of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells (p < 0.0001), higher percentages and absolute counts of Th17 cells (IL-17A+CD3+CD4+; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.009, respectively), CD3−/CD16+CD56+ NK cells (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.039, respectively), CD3+/CD16+CD56+ NKT-like cells (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.048, respectively). There were also higher percentages and numbers of B CD19+ lymphocytes (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively) and higher percentages and absolute counts of activated B CD19+CD25+ cells (p = 0.007 and p = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, we observed a statistically significant correlation between the presence of itching and particular peripheral blood subpopulations in PBC patients. Absolute counts of both CD4+CD3+ cells (p = 0.0119) and CD3+CD25+ cells (p = 0.0329) were lower in patients with pruritus. A similar dependency was noted in reference to percentages of NKT-like cells (CD3+/CD16+CD56+; p = 0.0359) and (CD3+) T lymphocytes (p = 0.0302). Th17 and Treg cells are involved in the course of PBC. There is also the association between the pruritus and peripheral blood subpopulations.