Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Differentiation and Pathological Significance of Tissue‐Resident Memory‐Like CD8 + T Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors' conclusion
Circulating TRM-like CD8+ T cells were associated with SLE activity and kidney involvement. IL-15/TGF-β1-dependent differentiation partly involved JAK/STAT signaling, supporting further evaluation as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
Study context
- Population
- Treatment-naïve patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and healthy donors (HDs)Peripheral blood: 30 SLE, 40 RA, 30 HDs, renal biopsy specimens from 20 patients with SLE · SLE 30 · RA 40 · HDs 30 · Renal biopsy specimens, SLE 20
- Participants
- 30 / 40 / 30
- Comparison
- Circulating TRM-like CD8+ T cells in SLE vs RA and HDs
- SLEn = 30
- RAn = 40
- HDsn = 30
- Outcome
- Circulating CD8+CD69+CD103+ TRM-like cell frequency
Methodological detailsrenal biopsy immunofluorescence, in vitro differentiation of naïve CD8+ T cells from HDs, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor assessment
- Renal biopsy immunofluorescence
- In vitro differentiation of naïve CD8+ T cells from HDs
- JAK inhibitor assessment
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- SLE vs RA: P = 0.022
- SLE vs HDs: P < 0.001
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| TRM-like cell proportions by active kidney involvement (renal BILAG A/B)Active kidney involvement (n=17) vs Without active kidney involvement (n=13) · higher with active kidney involvement | P < 0.05 |
| Urine protein-to-creatinine ratios and SELENA-SLEDAI scores by baseline TRM-like cell proportions · week 24Baseline TRM-like cell proportions ≥0.40% vs Baseline TRM-like cell proportions <0.40% · higher with ≥0.40% | both P<0.05 |
Correlation of TRM-like cells with anti-dsDNA antibodies and CH50
- anti-dsDNA antibodies rs
- rs=0.468, P=0.016
- CH50 rs
- rs=−0.397, P=0.045
CD3+CD103+ cells in renal lesions
- Expressed granzyme B or interferon-γ
In vitro TRM-like differentiation
- IL-15 plus TGF-β1 induced TRM-like differentiation with effector, transcriptional, survival, and metabolic features
- JAK inhibition suppressed differentiation and granzyme B expression
Original publication
Differentiation and Pathological Significance of Tissue‐Resident Memory‐Like CD8 + T Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Arthritis Rheumatol. Published 4 November 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →