AUTHOR=Khanniche Asma , Zhou Ling , Jiang Bin , Song Jing , Jin Yanhua , Yin Jian , Wang Shujun , Ji Ping , Shen Hao , Wang Ying , Xu Huji 

TITLE=Restored and Enhanced Memory T Cell Immunity in Rheumatoid Arthritis After TNFα Blocker Treatment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00887

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2019.00887

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>TNFα inhibitors have shaped the landscape of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy with high clinical efficiency. However, their impact on T cell recall responses is not well-elucidated. We aimed to analyze the immune profiles of memory T cells in RA patients undergoing TNFα inhibitor Golimumab (GM) treatment. Frequencies of peripheral T cell subsets and cytokine expression profiles in memory T cells (T<sub>M</sub>) upon PMA/Ionomycine stimulation were determined by flow cytometry. Antigen-specific CD8 T cell immunity was analyzed through stimulating PBMCs with CMV-EBV-Flu (CEF) viral peptide pool and subsequent intracellular IFNγ staining. Both peripheral CD8 and CD4 T cells from GM treated patients had a shift pattern characterized by an enlarged effector T<sub>M</sub> and a reduced central T<sub>M</sub> cell population when compared to GM untreated group. An increase in the frequencies of TNFα<sup>+</sup>, IL-2<sup>+</sup>, and IL-17<sup>+</sup> CD8 T<sub>M</sub> cells was observed whereas only TNFα<sup>+</sup>CD4 T<sub>M</sub> cells increased in GM treated patients. Moreover, GM treated patients contained more peripheral IFNγ-producing CD8 T cells specific to CEF viral peptides. Together, these results show a distinct T cell subset pattern and enhanced memory T cell immunity upon GM treatment, suggesting an immunoregulatory effect of TNF inhibitor Golimumab on peripheral memory T cell responses.</p>