Restored and Enhanced Memory T Cell Immunity in Rheumatoid Arthritis After TNFα Blocker Treatment.

TNF alpha inhibitors have shaped the landscape of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy with high clinical efficiency. However, their impact on T cell recall responses is not well-elucidated. We aimed to analyze the immune profiles of memory T cells in RA patients undergoing TNF alpha inhibitor Golimumab (GM) treatment. Frequencies of peripheral T cell subsets and cytokine expression profiles in memory T cells (T-M) upon PMA/Ionomycine stimulation were determined by flow cytometry. Antigen-specific CD8 T cell immunity was analyzed through stimulating PBMCs with CMV-EBV-Flu (CEF) viral peptide pool and subsequent intracellular IFN gamma staining. Both peripheral CD8 and CD4 T cells from GM treated patients had a shift pattern characterized by an enlarged effector T-M and a reduced central T-M cell population when compared to GM untreated group. An increase in the frequencies of TNF alpha(+), IL-2(+), and IL-17(+) CD8 T-M cells was observed whereas only TNF alpha(+)CD4 T-M cells increased in GM treated patients. Moreover, GM treated patients contained more peripheral IFN gamma-producing CD8 T cells specific to CEF viral peptides. Together, these results show a distinct T cell subset pattern and enhanced memory T cell immunity upon GM treatment, suggesting an immunoregulatory effect of TNF inhibitor Golimumab on peripheral memory T cell responses.