1 | T lymphocytes are found in follicular lymphoid aggregates |
2 | The cell-surface phenotype is suggestive of chronic immune activation, e.g. expression of CD45RO, CD69, and subsets of chemokine receptors |
3 | T cells are terminally differentiated, with significant telomere loss |
4 | Synovial T cells are hyporesponsive to TCR ligation |
5 | Synovial T cells exist in an environment favouring cell survival |
6 | There is an imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, with a predominance of macrophage products in inflamed joints |
7 | There is a bias towards the development of T helper (Th)1 cells |