Journal
CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 253, Issue 1-2, Pages 92-101Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2008.05.007
Keywords
regulatory T cell; suppressive mechanism; rheumatoid arthritis; autoimmunity
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Funding
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) [RO1 AT00309]
- NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY &ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE [R01AT000309] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
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Accumulating evidences support that CD4(+)CD25(high) T regulatory (Treg) cells play an essential role in controlling and preventing autoimmunity. Paradoxically, RA patients have elevated numbers of circulating CD4(+)CD25(high) T cells, however, the inflammation is still ongoing. Further identification of these CD4(+)CD25(high) T cells may contribute to a better understanding of underlying mechanisms. We show here that these CD4(+)CD25(high) T cells were composed of CD4(+)CD25(high)FoxP3(+) Treg cells and activated CD4(+)CD25(high)FoxP3(-) effector cells. Moreover, there were significantly more Treg cells and effector T cells expressing GITR, and more monocytes expressing GITR-L. Thus, although RA patients have elevated numbers of CD4(+)CD25(high) T cells, the suppressive function is not increased, because of the increased number of activated effector T cells. In addition, the GITR-GITR-L system was activated in RA patients, which might lead to diminish suppressive activity of Treg cells and/or lead to resistance of activated effector T cells to suppression by Treg cells, thus, contributing to the ongoing inflammation in RA patients. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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