Anti-TNF-α therapy induces a distinct regulatory T cell population in patients with rheumatoid arthritis via TGF-β

The induction of regulatory T (T reg) cells holds considerable potential as a treatment for autoimmune diseases. We have previously shown that CD4(+)CD25(hi) T reg cells isolated from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a defect in their ability to suppress proinflammatory cytokine production by CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells. This defect, however, was overcome after anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha antibody (infliximab) therapy. Here, we demonstrate that infliximab therapy gives rise to a CD4(+)CD25(hi)FoxP3(+) T reg cell population, which mediates suppression via transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and interleukin 10, and lacks CD62L expression, thereby distinguishing this T reg cell subset from natural T reg cells present in healthy individuals and patients with active RA. In vitro, infliximab induced the differentiation of CD62L(-) T reg cells from CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells isolated from active RA patients, a process dependent on TGF-alpha. In spite of the potent suppressor capacity displayed by this CD62L(-) T reg cell population, the natural CD62L(+) T reg cells remained defective in infliximab-treated patients. These results suggest that anti-TNF-alpha therapy in RA patients generates a newly differentiated population of T reg cells, which compensates for the defective natural T reg cells. Therefore, manipulation of a proinflammatory environment could represent a therapeutic strategy for the induction of T reg cells and the restoration of tolerance.