Follicular helper T cells (Tfh), localized in lymphoid organs, promote B cell differentiation and function. Circulating CD4 T cells expressing CXCR5, ICOS and/or PD-1 are counterparts of Tfh. Three subpopulations of circulating CD4+CXCR5+ cells have been described: CXCR3+CCR6- (Tfh-Th1), CXCR3-CCR6+ (Tfh-Th17), and CXCR3-CCR6- (Tfh-Th2). Only Tfh-Th17 and Tfh-Th2 function as B cell helpers. Our objective was to study the frequencies of circulating Tfh (cTfh), cTfh subsets and plasmablasts (CD19+CD20-CD27+CD38high cells), and the function of cTfh cells, in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). To this end, peripheral blood was drawn from healthy controls (HC) (n = 50), AS patients naïve for TNF blockers (AS/nb) (n = 25) and AS patients treated with TNF blockers (AS/b) (n = 25). The frequencies of cTfh and plasmablasts were determined by flow cytometry. Cocultures of magnetically sorted CD4+CXCR5+ T cells with autologous CD19+CD27- naïve B cells were established from 3 AS/nb patients and 3 HC, and concentrations of IgG, A and M were measured in supernatants. We obseved that AS/nb but not AS/b patients, demonstrated decreased frequencies of circulating CD4+CXCR5+ICOS+PD-1+ cells and plasmablasts, together with a decreased (Tfh-Th17+Tfh-Th2)/Tfh-Th1 ratio. The amounts of IgG and IgA produced in cocultures of CD4+CXCR5+ T cells with CD19+CD27- B cells of AS/nb patients were significantly lower than observed in cocultures established from HC. In summary, AS/nb but not AS/b patients, demonstrate a decreased frequency of cTfh and plasmablasts, and an underrepresentation of cTfh subsets bearing a B helper phenotype. In addition, peripheral blood CD4+CXCR5+ T cells of AS/nb patients showed a decreased capacity to help B cells ex vivo.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4159293 | PMC |
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0107086 | PLOS |
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFRheumatology (Oxford)
January 2025
Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPaz, Madrid, Spain.
Objectives: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large/medium-vessel granulomatous vasculitis, and the PD-1/PD-L1 coinhibitory pathway seems to be implicated in its pathogenesis. CD4 T cells expressing high PD-1 levels, CD4+CXCR5-PD-1hi peripheral helper (Tph) and CD4+CXCR5+PD-1hi follicular helper T cells (Tfh), are key mediators of autoimmunity. Their frequencies are elevated in the peripheral blood of subjects with several autoimmune conditions but have not been investigated in GCA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is so far the only disease-modifying therapy for allergy, resulting in a long-lasting tolerance. However, the existing safety concerns and the need for more efficacious alternatives that shorten the duration of treatment have stimulated research into the development of novel alternatives. Some of these novel alternatives involve modifying allergens with molecules that target innate immunomodulatory receptors to suppress the immune activity of immune cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExp Cell Res
December 2024
Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, 230032, China; The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, 230061, China. Electronic address:
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFHepatol Int
December 2024
Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
Background: The pivotal role of antibody-producing B cells in controlling hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is well-established. However, the antiviral role of B cells extends beyond antibody production, which has been insufficiently studied for HBV infection.
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