This article is part of the supplement: 15th Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PreS) Congress
Poster presentation
CD39: a regulatory role in childhood arthritis
Pediatric Rheumatology 2008, 6(Suppl 1):P10 doi:10.1186/1546-0096-6-S1-P10
Published: 15 September 2008First paragraph (this article has no abstract)
Human regulatory T cells (T reg) are classically defined as CD4+ CD25hi Foxp3+. There is increasing evidence that T cells may be subject to regulation via the conversion of proinflammatory ATP to anti-inflammatory adenosine. Methotrexate, the standard therapy for children with JIA, is proposed to work via this mechanism. CD39 belongs to a family of ectoenzymes that convert ATP into an adenosine precursor. ATPase activity may therefore represent an important regulatory mechanism in JIA.