Peripheral CD4 + /CD8 + T cell composition distinct from healthy individuals is shared by ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

AS patients and RA patients have some similar peripheral CD4 /CD8 T cell subsets but are distinct from healthy individuals, which may contribute to disease severity. Females are respectively characterized by the up-regulation of Treg cells and naive CD8 T cells in AS patients and RA patients. The study offers an in-depth understanding of the role of T cell subsets in the similarities of the disorders and helps us to monitor disease changes and may offer a theoretical basis of developing novel therapies against common targets.