Induction of persistent T cell hyporesponsiveness in vivo by monoclonal antibody to ICAM-1 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing treatment with a murine mAb (BIRR1) to ICAM-1 were studied to determine the effects of the treatment on T cell responsiveness assayed in vitro. Previous studies had demonstrated that over the 5-day treatment period, there was a transient increase in circulating T cells that returned to base line 3 days after therapy. The transient lymphocytosis correlated with a loss in delayed-type hypersensitivity reactivity during the time of Ab administration. However, neither the increase in T cell numbers nor the inhibition of delayed-type hypersensitivity responses correlated with the immediate clinical benefit of therapy or the prolonged nature of the response to therapy in some patients. The current studies show that after the return of lymphocyte numbers to pretreatment levels, a decrease in T lymphocyte responses to suboptimal activation signals, including accessory cell-dependent (low dose PHA and soluble anti-CD3 mAb) and accessory cell-independent stimuli (immobilized anti-CD3 mAb), was observed. However, responses to recall Ags were preserved. Depressed T cell responses were not the result of diminished accessory cell function or production of suppressive factors by monocytes, but rather reflected decreased IL-2 production. The duration of T cell hyporesponsiveness was variable in length but lasted up to 5 mo after treatment with anti-ICAM-1 mAb. The induction and persistence of T cell hyporesponsiveness correlated with an improvement in disease activity in treated patients. These studies show that treatment with anti-ICAM-1 mAb can induce T cell hyporesponsiveness that correlates with and may explain sustained therapeutic benefit in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.