The Phenotype of Circulating Follicular-Helper T Cells in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Defines CD200 as a Potential Therapeutic Target

In the 2012 study involving 35 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 15 matched controls, researchers found that the number of circulating follicular-helper T cells (TFH) was similar between the two groups. However, RA patients' TFH cells showed significantly higher expression of CD200, an immunoglobulin superfamily receptor. The highest CD200 levels were in seropositive patients and those treated with anti-TNFα agents, although there was no correlation with disease activity scores. The study concluded that TFH cells in RA patients have a distinct phenotype and that targeting the CD200/CD200R signaling pathway could be a potential therapeutic approach for RA.