@article {LIM{\'O}N-CAMACHO830, author = {LEONARDO LIM{\'O}N-CAMACHO and MAR{\'I}A IN{\'E}S VARGAS-ROJAS and JANITZIA V{\'A}ZQUEZ-MELLADO and JULIO CASASOLA-VARGAS and JOS{\'E} F. MOCTEZUMA and RUB{\'E}N BURGOS-VARGAS and LUIS LLORENTE}, title = {In Vivo Peripheral Blood Proinflammatory T Cells in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis}, volume = {39}, number = {4}, pages = {830--835}, year = {2012}, doi = {10.3899/jrheum.110862}, publisher = {The Journal of Rheumatology}, abstract = {Objective. Previous reports have shown an increase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells{\textquoteright} (PBMC) Th17 cell subpopulation and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion after in vitro stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28 or phorbol myristate acetate/ionomycin in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The aim of our study was to determine whether there is a Th17 polarization not subjected to in vitro stimulation in patients with AS. Methods. Nonstimulated PBMC were analyzed from 46 patients with AS, including 7 (15.2\%) receiving tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors, 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and 25 healthy controls. The surface phenotype of freshly isolated PBMC was determined by flow cytometry. Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg subsets were defined as CD3+CD4+IFN-γ+, CD3+CD4+IL-4+, CD3+CD4+IL-17A+, and CD3+CD4+FoxP3+, respectively. Serum cytokines and interleukin 8 (IL-8) levels were quantified by Luminex technology. Results. The percentages of Th17 and Th1 cells in AS were higher than in healthy controls (7.4\% {\textpm} 1.8\% vs 0.7\% {\textpm} 0.2\% and 4.0\% {\textpm} 1.3\% vs 1.1\% {\textpm} 0.3\%, respectively; p \< 0.0001). Th17 and Th1 cell subsets in patients taking TNF-α inhibitors were lower than in those naive to such therapeutics and similar to healthy controls. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-α, and IL-8 were significantly higher in patients with AS compared to controls. Conclusion. The percentages of Th17 and Th1 cells in PBMC without in vitro stimulation, as well as cytokine and IL-8 levels, were significantly increased in patients with AS compared with healthy controls. These T cell subsets and cytokine profiles of patients with AS taking TNF-α inhibitors were similar to those of healthy controls.}, issn = {0315-162X}, URL = {https://www.jrheum.org/content/39/4/830}, eprint = {https://www.jrheum.org/content/39/4/830.full.pdf}, journal = {The Journal of Rheumatology} }