Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develop features of accelerated ageing, including immunosenescence. These changes include decreased thymic functionality, expansion of late-differentiated effector T cells, increased telomeric attrition, and excessive production of cytokines (senescence-associated secretory phenotype). The progression of RA has been associated with the early development of age-related co-morbidities, including osteoporosis, cardiovascular complications, and cognitive impairment. Here I review data supporting the hypothesis that immune-senescence contributes to the aggravation of both articular and extra-articular manifestations. Of note, poor cognitive functions in RA were associated with senescent CD28- T cells, inflammaging, and autoantibodies against brain antigens. The pathways of immune-to-brain communication are discussed and provide the rationale for the cognitive impairment reported in RA.

中文翻译：

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类风湿关节炎的加速免疫衰老：对临床进展的影响

类风湿关节炎（RA）患者出现加速衰老的特征，包括免疫衰老。这些变化包括胸腺功能降低，晚期分化效应子T细胞扩增，端粒磨损增加以及细胞因子的过度产生（衰老相关的分泌表型）。RA的进展与年龄相关的合并症的早期发展有关，包括骨质疏松，心血管并发症和认知障碍。在这里，我回顾了支持免疫衰老加剧关节和关节外表现的假说的数据。值得注意的是，RA中较差的认知功能与衰老的CD28-T细胞，发炎和针对脑抗原的自身抗体有关。