Smoking Gun - 14869

Smoking has been associated with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in individuals carrying shared epitope (SE) HLA-DRB1 alleles. Yet, little is known about the regional and systemic T cell dynamics of smoking and a potential link to T cell infiltration in inflamed synovia. In this study, we, therefore, sought to study T cell features in lung and inflamed joints in smoking versus non-smoking patients. Conclusion: The data indicate a profound interplay between a strong MHC predisposition, smoking and induction of autoimmunity by shaping the TCR repertoire.