ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • ACR Convergence 2022
    • ACR Convergence 2021
    • ACR Convergence 2020
    • 2020 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
    • 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting
    • 2017-2009 Meetings
    • Download Abstracts
  • Keyword Index
  • Advanced Search
  • Your Favorites
    • Favorites
    • Login
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all your favorites
  • Meeting Resource Center

Abstract Number: 1647

An Altered Frequency Of Circulating Follicullar T Helper Cell Counterparts and Their Subsets Is Associated With Increased Circulating Plasmablasts In Seropositive RA Patients

Irene Arroyo-Villa1, M. Belén Bautista-Caro1, Alejandro Balsa2, Pilar Aguado2, Alejandro Villalba1, Chamaida Plasencia2, Amaya Puig-Kröger3, Emilio Martín-Mola1 and Maria Eugenia Miranda-Carus1, 1Rheumatology, Hospital La Paz - IdiPaz, Madrid, Spain, 2Rheumatology, Hospital La Paz-IdiPaz, Madrid, Spain, 3Immuno-oncology, Hospital Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, Spain

Meeting: 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Keywords: Plasmablasts, T cells and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
Session Information

Session Title: T-cell Biology in Autoimmune Diseases

Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ACR)

Background/Purpose: Follicular T helper (Tfh) cells, a CD4 T helper subset localized in lymphoid organs, help B cell differentiation and function. Circulating CD4 T cells expressing CXCR5 together with ICOS and/or PD-1 are considered as counterparts of Tfh, can function as B cell helpers, and can be subdivided into three subpopulations based on the expression of CCR6 and/or CXCR3: CXCR5+CXCR3+CCR6- (Tfh-Th1), CXCR5+CXCR3-CCR6+ (Tfh-Th17) and CXCR5+CXCR3-CCR6- (Tfh-Th2). Only Tfh-Th17 and Tfh-Th2, as opposed to Tfh-Th1, seem to display functional properties of Tfh cells. An altered proportion of these subpopulations has been associated with autoimmune diseases. Terefore, our objective was to study the frequency of circulating Tfh and Tfh cell subsets together with the frequency of circulating plasmablasts (CD19+CD20-CD27+CD38high B cells) in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Methods: Peripheral blood was drawn from healthy controls (n=27) and RA patients (n=27). After isolation by Ficoll- Hypaque gradient, PBMCs were stained with antibodies to CD3, CD4, CXCR5, ICOS, PD-1, CCR6, CXCR3, CD19, CD20, CD27, and CD38, and examined by flow cytometry. The percentages of CXCR5+CXCR3+CCR6- (Tfh-Th1), CXCR5+CXCR3- CCR6+ (Tfh-Th17) and CXCR5+CXCR3-CCR6- (Tfh/Th2) cells were calculated after gating for CD3, CD4 and CXCR5+. The percentage of CD20-CD38high cells was calculated after gating for CD19+ and CD27+.

Results: The frequency of circulating CXCR5+ cells gated for CD4+ T cells was not different among the studied groups. In contrast, RA patients demonstrated an increased frequency of CD4+CXCR5+ICOS+PD-1+ cells. Furthermore, in RA patients, the frequency of Tfh-Th1 cells was significantly decreased and the frequency of Tfh-Th17 and Tfh-Th2 cells was significantly increased as compared with controls. Subsequently, the ratio (Tfh-Th17+Tfh-Th2)/Tfh-Th1 was increased in RA patients. When examining seropositive (RF+ and/or ACPA+) and seronegative RA patients (RF- and ACPA-) separately, it was evident that the above described alterations were only apparent in seropositive RA. That is, seropositive but not seronegative RA patients demonstrate a higher proportion of Tfh subsets bearing a phenotype associated with B cell helping capacity. At the same time, the frequency of circulating plasmablasts was increased in seropositive but not in seronegative RA. Interestingly, there was a significantly positive correlation between the percentage of circulating plasmablasts and the frequency of CXCR5+ICOS+PD-1+CD4+ T cells. In addition, the frequency of circulating plasmablasts showed a positive correlation with the ratio (Tfh-Th17+Tfh-Th2)/Tfh-Th1.

Conclusion: Seropositive, but not seronegative RA patients, demonstrate an increased frequency of circulating Tfh counterparts (CXCR5+ICOS+PD-1+CD4+ T cells) and altered proportions of circulating Tfh subpopulations, with overrepresentation of subsets bearing a phenotype associated with B cell helping capacity. At the same time, an increased proportion of circulating plasmablasts is apparent in seropositive RA patients.


Disclosure:

I. Arroyo-Villa,
None;

M. B. Bautista-Caro,
None;

A. Balsa,
None;

P. Aguado,
None;

A. Villalba,
None;

C. Plasencia,
None;

A. Puig-Kröger,
None;

E. Martín-Mola,
None;

M. E. Miranda-Carus,
None.

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

« Back to 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/an-altered-frequency-of-circulating-follicullar-t-helper-cell-counterparts-and-their-subsets-is-associated-with-increased-circulating-plasmablasts-in-seropositive-ra-patients/

Advanced Search

Your Favorites

You can save and print a list of your favorite abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract. View your favorites »

ACR Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium 2020

© COPYRIGHT 2023 AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY

Wiley

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
  • Advanced Search
  • Meeting Resource Center
  • Online Journal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Permissions Policies
  • Cookie Preferences