title: T helper 17 and T helper 1 cells are increased but regulatory T cells are decreased in subchondral bone marrow microenvironment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study is to investigate the profiles of Th17, Th1 and Treg cells in bone marrow of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Flow cytometry was used to analyze the frequencies of Th17, Th1 and Treg cells in paired peripheral blood and bone marrow of 26 RA patients and 11 osteoarthritis (OA) patients, as well as 10 healthy controls. In addition, the disease activity was analyzed by the 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequencies of Th17 and Th1 cells were significantly elevated in bone marrow of RA patients. Importantly, Th17 and Th1 cells were significantly elevated in bone marrow compared with the matched peripheral blood from RA patients. However, Treg cells were significantly decreased in bone marrow of RA patients compared with the matched peripheral blood of RA patients and bone marrow of osteoarthritis patients and healthy controls. Moreover, the frequencies of tumor necrosis factor-α-producing T cells were significantly elevated in bone marrow from RA patients. Additionally, Th17 and Th1 cells in bone marrow were positively correlated with DAS28, while Treg cells were negatively correlated with DAS28.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates that Th17 and Th1 cells are markedly increased in bone marrow from RA patients. By contrast, Treg cells are significantly decreased in bone marrow from RA patients. These results suggest that local abnormality of Th17, Th1 and Treg cells in bone marrow of RA patients may contribute to bone destruction in skeletal system.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Shufeng
authors: S
authors: Li
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Kaining
authors: K
authors: Zhang
authors: Intensive Care Unit, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250012, P.R. China.
authors: Shixiao
authors: S
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Xiuhua
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250012, P.R. China.
authors: Xinguang
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Yanjun
authors: Y
authors: Ren
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Xinfeng
authors: X
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250012, P.R. China.
authors: Jianmin
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University Jinan 250014, P.R. China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Zhang
keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis; T helper 1 cells; T helper 17 cells; bone marrow; regulatory T cells