Quantitative alterations of CD8+ T cells in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients in remission

The study was aimed to investigate whether quantities of CD8⁺ T cell subsets are normal in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients with disease remission compared to age-matched healthy donors (HD) and whether chronological age may have an impact on proportions of naive CD8⁺ T cells. CD8⁺ T cell subsets were analyzed in 17 JIA patients and 32 age-matched HD by flow cytometry. JIA patients showed lower CD3⁺CD8⁺ T cells compared to HD. Total counts of CD8⁺CD28⁺ and CD8⁺CD28⁺CD45RA⁺ T cells were inversely correlated to chronological age in JIA patients and HD. In JIA patients, percentages of CD8⁺CD28⁺CD45RA⁺ T cells and of CD62L-expressing CD8⁺CD28⁺CD45RA⁺ T cells showed a negative correlation with age. The trend to lower CD28⁺CD45RA⁺ T cell proportions in aged JIA patients in remission may reflect a disturbed T cell homeostasis independently of disease activity and may be due to an intrinsic effect in reconstitution of the peripheral T cells.