The in vitro addition of methotrexate and/or methylprednisolone determines peripheral reduction in Th17 and expansion of conventional Treg and of IL-10 producing Th17 lymphocytes in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis
Abstract
The aim of our study was to evaluate methotrexate (MTX) and methylprednisolone (MP) effect on peripheral Th17 and Treg subsets in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We enrolled 15 patients (10 early RA and 5 long-standing disease) with active RA and 10 age-matched healthy donors as controls. Frequencies of Th17 and Treg were quantified using flow cytometry before and after in vitro addition of MTX, MP or both drugs. Our results showed a reduction in the overall Th17 population followed by an increase in Th17 IL-10(+) and Treg, after in vitro treatment of PBMCs with the drugs in patients with early RA. Long-standing disease patients showed a less evident increase in Treg cells and less enhancement of IL-10 Th17 cells. We suggest that the treatment with MTX and MP could ameliorate RA disease activity by normalizing the distribution/imbalance of Th17/Treg and indicate a new regulatory role of IL-17(+) cells in RA patients.
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Suppression of IL-17-mediated responses is critical for cutaneous antifungal defenses.
“It is likely that suppression of IL-17-mediated responses is critical for cutaneous antifungal defenses [3,55]”
From Host–Candida auris interactions in the skin (2026) · cites this paper as [55]
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Huang, X., Hurabielle, C., Drummond, R. A., Bouladoux, N., Desai, J. V., Sim, C. K., Belkaid, Y., Lionakis, M. S., & Segre, J. A. (2021) · Cell Host & Microbe · doi:10.1016/j.chom.2020.12.002 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Host–Candida auris interactions in the skin
Thangamani, S., Balakumar, A., Datta, A., Bryak, G., & Lionakis, M. S. (2026) · PLOS Pathogens · doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1014075 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
- Authors
- Guggino, G., Giardina, A., Ferrante, A., Giardina, G., Schinocca, C., Sireci, G., Dieli, F., Ciccia, F., & Triolo, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Palermo (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Ciccia, F.
- Venue
- Rheumatology International
- Published
- 2014-05-03
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 171-175
- ISSN
- 0172-8172 (ISSN-L)
- 1437-160X
- OpenAlex
- W1986183148
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 4.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Rheumatology International (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (submittedVersion)
- Nova Science Publishers (Nova Science Publishers, Inc.) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
- Keywords
- rheumatoid arthritis, early rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate, methylprednisolone, Th17 cells, regulatory T cells, IL-10, IL-17, Treg expansion, Th17/Treg imbalance, disease activity, peripheral blood mononuclear cells
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Female, Humans, Male, Methotrexate, Methylprednisolone, Middle Aged, Interleukin-10, Antirheumatic Agents, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory, Th17 Cells
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