Th Cell Phenotypes and Their Correlations with Disease Activity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Rheumatology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation.
• T helper (Th) cell subsets play critical roles in immune responses and their dysregulation is implicated in autoimmune diseases like RA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare circulating CD4+ T helper (Th) cell subset frequencies in RA patients and healthy controls (HCs).
• To investigate the relationship between Th cell subset frequencies and RA disease activity.

Main Methods:

• Peripheral blood samples were collected from 75 RA patients and 28 HCs.
• Flow cytometry was used to identify and quantify CD4+ T helper cell subsets.
• Data analysis was performed using FlowJo and GraphPad Prism software.

Main Results:

• RA patients exhibited altered Th cell subset frequencies compared to HCs, including higher overall Th cells but lower memory Th, Th1, and Th17.1 cells.
• DMARD-naïve RA patients showed lower Th1, Th9, and Th17.1 cells, and higher Th17 cells compared to HCs.
• Lower proportions of Th1 and Th17.1 cells, and higher Th2 cells, correlated with increased RA disease activity. Th1, Th9, and Th17.1 cell proportions inversely correlated with CRP levels.

Conclusions:

• RA patients demonstrate a significant imbalance in circulating Th cell subsets, particularly reduced Th1 and Th17.1 cells.
• The decreased frequencies of Th1 and Th17.1 cells are associated with higher RA disease activity and inflammation markers.
• Modulating Th cell subset balance presents a potential therapeutic avenue for managing rheumatoid arthritis.