Blockade of Glucocorticoid-Induced Tumor Necrosis Factor–Receptor-Related Protein Signaling Ameliorates Murine Collagen-Induced Arthritis by Modulating Follicular Helper T Cells

Recent studies have shown that glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor–receptor-related protein (GITR) and its ligand (GITRL) are critically involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune arthritis, but the role of GITRL/GITR signaling in modulating CD4+ follicular helper T (Tfh) cell response during autoimmune arthritis remains largely unclear. We showed that splenic Tfh cells from mice with collagen-induced arthritis expressed higher levels of GITR compared with non-Tfh cells. In vitro, GITRL treatment markedly enhanced the percentage and number of Tfh cells. The administration of GITR fused to fragment crystallizable of IgG protein in mice with collagen-induced arthritis suppressed the Tfh cell response, resulting in ameliorated disease severity, and reduced production of autoantibody and the number of autoantibody-secreting cells in both the spleen and bone marrow. Together, these results indicate that blockade of GITR signaling can ameliorate arthritis progression mainly by modulating the Tfh cell response.