Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Abatacept Reduces CD319 + ( SLAMF7 ) Cytotoxic T Cells and Cytokine Production in Systemic Sclerosis
Authors' conclusion
CD319+ T cells represent highly differentiated, activated cytotoxic effector populations in SSc. Abatacept selectively modulates these cells and suppresses associated profibrotic and proinflammatory cytokines, particularly in the fibroproliferative subtype, in which CD319+ T cell reductions correlate with clinical improvement.
Study context
- Population
- Participants with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc) in the ASSET trial60 evaluable at baseline
- Participants
- 67 participants
- Comparison
- Abatacept vs placebo
Methodological detailsancillary analysis, mechanistic
- Ancillary analysis
- Mechanistic
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
CD319+ T cells: cytotoxic and activation phenotype and abatacept effects
- Baseline: CD319+ T cells showed greater cytokine production, activation, and granzyme and perforin expression than CD319- T cells
- P < 0.001 to P < 0.0001
- Fibroproliferative endotype: abatacept reduced IL-4 in CD4+CD319+ T cells at month three
- P = 0.0468
- Fibroproliferative endotype: abatacept reduced IL-4 in CD8+CD319+ T cells at month three
- P = 0.0287
- Fibroproliferative endotype: abatacept reduced IL-17A in CD8+CD319+ T cells at month six
- P = 0.0004
- Reduction in CD4+CD319+ T cells correlated with modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) improvement (abatacept)
- r = 0.5297, P = 0.0423
Further findings
Skin single-cell RNA sequencing: SLAMF7 expression in SSc T cells (5 healthy controls, 8 SSc)
- Increased SLAMF7 expression in SSc T cells, enriched within cytotoxic subsets
- P = 0.017
Original publication
Abatacept Reduces CD319 + ( SLAMF7 ) Cytotoxic T Cells and Cytokine Production in Systemic Sclerosis. Arthritis Rheumatol. Published 20 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →