Anti-TNF-α therapy improves Treg and suppresses Teff in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Anti-TNF-α therapies have been applied in RA treatment, but the regulatory effect of the drug on immune system is not clear. In this study, we included 33 active RA patients and divided them into two groups. One group received anti-TNF-α mAb+methotrexate for 24 weeks, the other group got placebo+methotrexate for the first 12 weeks and anti-TNF-α mAb+methotrexate for another 12 weeks. Circulatory regulatory T cell (Treg) and effector T cell (Teff) frequency was analyzed pre-therapy and week 12 and week 24 for both group patients by flowcytometry. Our results indicated significantly elevated Treg and decreased Teff at week 24 compared with pre-therapy and week 12 for both group patients, and a little higher Treg and lower Teff frequency in anti-TNF-α therapy group than in placebo therapy patients. Our results demonstrated anti-TNF-α therapy has regulatory effect on immune system of RA patients by promoting Treg proportion increase and suppressing Teff.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
Zhuochun
Z
Huang
Bin
B
Yang
Yunying
Y
Shi
Bei
B
Cai
Yi
Y
Li
Weihua
W
Feng
Yang
Y
Fu
Limei
L
Luo
Lanlan
L
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068800:Etanercept; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068800:Etanercept; D008727:Methotrexate