High frequencies of activated B cells and T follicular helper cells are correlated with disease activity in patients with new‐onset rheumatoid arthritis |
| |
Authors: | Z. Jiang J. Feng C. Li L. Ma Y. Jiang |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Department of Rheumatism, The First Hospital, Jilin University, , Changchun, China;2. Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, Department of Central Laboratory, The Second part of the First Hospital, Jilin University, , Changchun, China |
| |
Abstract: | This study aimed to examine the frequency of different subsets of circulating B and T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in patients with new-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and following standard therapies. Twenty-five RA patients and 15 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for characterizing the frequency of CD27+, immunoglobulin (Ig)D+, CD86+, CD95+, Toll-like receptor (TLR)-9+ B cells and inducible T cell co-stimulator (ICOS) and programmed death 1 (PD-1)-positive Tfh cells and the level of serum interleukin (IL)-21. The potential correlation between the frequency of different subsets of B and Tfh cells and the values of clinical measures in RA patients was analysed. In comparison with HC, significantly higher percentages of circulating IgD+CD27−CD19+ naive B, CD86+CD19+ and CD95+CD19+ activated B, CD3+CD4+CXCR5+, CD3+CD4+CXCR5+ICOS+, CD3+CD4+CXCR5+PD-1+ and CD3+CD4+CXCR5+ICOS+PD-1+ Tfh cells but lower IgD+CD27+CD19+ preswitch memory B cells were detected, accompanied by significantly higher levels of serum IL-21 in the RA patients. Furthermore, the percentages of CD95+ B cells were correlated positively with the frequency of PD-1+ Tfh cells, but negatively with ICOS+ Tfh cells. The percentages of CD86+ B cells and ICOS+ Tfh cells were correlated positively with the values of disease activity score 28 (DAS28). Following the drug therapies for 1 month, the percentages of CD86+ B and PD-1+ Tfh cells were reduced significantly in the drug-responding patients. Our data suggest that activated B and Tfh cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA and the frequency of activated B and Tfh cells may be used as biomarkers for evaluating the therapeutic responses of individual patients with RA. |
| |
Keywords: | B cells CD86 RA Tfh cells therapy |
|
|