Abatacept in interstitial lung disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis: national multicenter study of 263 patients.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of abatacept (ABA) in RA patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) (RA-ILD).

Methods: This was an observational, multicentre study of RA-ILD patients treated with at least one dose of ABA. ILD was diagnosed by high-resolution CT (HRCT).

Constitutively altered frequencies of circulating follicullar helper T cell counterparts and their subsets in rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Circulating CD4 T cells expressing CXCR5, ICOS and/or PD-1 are counterparts of follicular helper T cells (Tfh). There are three subpopulations of circulating Tfh (cTfh): CXCR5 + CXCR3 + CCR6- (Tfh-Th1), CXCR5 + CXCR3-CCR6- (Tfh-Th2) and CXCR5 + CXCR3-CCR6+ (Tfh-Th17). Our objective was to study the B cell helping capacity of cTfh subsets, and examine their frequency in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients, together with the frequency of circulating plasmablasts (CD19 + CD20-CD38high).

Frequency of Th17 CD4+ T cells in early rheumatoid arthritis: a marker of anti-CCP seropositivity.

Objective: To examine the frequency and phenotype of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of early RA (eRA) patients.

Methods: CD4+ T cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of 33 eRA patients, 20 established RA patients and 53 healthy controls (HC), and from the synovial fluid of 20 established RA patients (RASF), by ficoll-hypaque gradient and magnetical negative selection. After polyclonal stimulation, the frequency of Th17 and Th1 cells was determined by flow cytometry and concentrations of IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-10 were measured by ELISA in cell-free supernatants.

IL-15 expression on RA synovial fibroblasts promotes B cell survival.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of RA Synovial Fibroblast (RASFib) IL-15 expression on B cell survival.

Methods: Magnetically sorted peripheral blood memory B cells from 15 healthy subjects were cocultured with RASFib.

Results: RASFib constitutively expressed membrane IL-15.