New type of blood cells work as indicators of autoimmunity

(Instituto de Medicina Molecular) The team from Instituto de Medicina Molecular Lisboa, led by Luis Graça, analyzed blood samples from Sjögren syndrome patients, an autoimmune disease that affects the mucous membranes and moisture-secreting glands of the eyes and mouth, and found that these patients have a significant increase in a specific type of immune cells called T follicular regulatory cells (Tfr).