title: Can IL-6 blockade rectify imbalance between Tregs and Th17 cells?
abstract: Evaluation of: Pesce B, Soto L, Sabugo F et al. Effect of interleukin-6 receptor blockade on the balance between regulatory T cells and T helper type 17 cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 171, 237-242 (2012). Clinical trials of a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab (TCZ), proved its outstanding efficacy for moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results of in vitro as well as in vivo studies using RA animal models indicate that IL-6 blockade could rectify the imbalance between Tregs and Th17 cells, although the exact mechanisms through which TCZ could have its beneficial effect on RA patients remain to be determined. The current paper reports that the ratio between Treg and Th17 cells in the peripheral CD4⁺ T cells from eight active RA patients tended to increase throughout TCZ treatment for 24 weeks. However, due to several limitations of this preliminary study, further analysis is required to confirm this effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Application of Biologics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine & Department of Immunopathology, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. ttanak@imed3.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6