title: Alterations in both the activatory and inhibitory potential of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients correlate with disease progression.
abstract: The chronic nature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suggests immune dysfunction, including persistent systemic activation. Therefore, we evaluated the activatory and inhibitory potential as well as proliferative activity of peripheral blood (PB) CD4+ T cells from RA patients in different stages of the disease and after different therapeutic interventions. We found that CD4+ T cells from RA patients were activated in vivo concerning decreased CD28 expression and increase of CD40L, CD69, and CTLA-4 expression; however, the extent of stimulation was suboptimal when compared to healthy controls. Consequently, impaired proliferative activities of these cells were found in all patients irrespective of the active disease duration. Treatment with methotrexate (MTX) and/or inhibitors of TNF-alpha (iTNF) did not significantly influence systemic activation in RA patients, which corresponded with the maintenance of inflammation markers; however, partial restoration of CD28 and CTLA-4 expression as well as clinical improvement were observed. In patients with early disease (the MTX group), we noted higher capacity of CD4+ T cells for restoration of T cell function, whereas cells from the iTNF group with progressive disease remained with a proliferative defect after the treatment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the dysregulated expression of molecules interfering with CD4+ T cell signaling may result in functional impairment of the effector T cells and correlates with disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland, kosmacz@iitd.pan.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kosmaczewska
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciszak
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swierkot
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szteblich
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wiland
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frydecka
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008727:Methotrexate
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