Role of Splenocytes on T Cells and Its Cytokine Network in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition that impacts the immune system, especially through changes in the splenic immune cell system. This review provides an overview of the role of splenocytes in T cell signaling and their immune response in RA patients. The spleen acts as a critical site for the activation and differentiation of splenic immune cells like T cells, B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and NK cells. In RA, splenomegaly is characterized by increased immune cell infiltration and altered architecture is often observed, contributing to the disease's pathogenesis. Antigen presentation via major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, specifically HLA DRB1, mediates the contact between splenocytes and T cells, resulting in the clonal growth of autoreactive T cells. This study explains how splenocytes, in response to a pro-inflammatory cytokine, affect T cell development into pathogenic subsets including Th1, Th2, and Th17. It also emphasizes how important dendritic cells and macrophages are for digesting antigens and priming T cells and how NK cells influence T cell responses by releasing cytokines. This study highlights the role of the spleen in the immunopathology of RA and offers possible treatment approaches that target immune response modulation and systemic inflammation reduction.