Furthermore, the CD24hiCD27+ B cell subset in which IL-10-producing Bregs were mainly enriched from DCM patients showed impaired IL-10 expression and a decreased ability to suppress the TNF-α production of CD4+CD25- Tconv cells and to maintain Tregs differentiation.
CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells from DCM patients showed increased expression levels of CD25 and CD69 and enhanced proliferation in response to anti-CD3/28, indicating an activated state. miRNA profiling analysis of magnetically sorted CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells revealed a distinct pattern of miRNA expression in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells from DCM patients compared with controls.
Notably, the suppressive capacity of CD4(+)CD25(high)CD127(low/-) regulatory T cells of DCM patients acting on autologous CD4(+)CD25(-) responder T (Tresp) cells seemed to be partially impaired (43.83+/-3.19% suppression versus 63.17+/-3.66% in normal controls, p=0.01).