Features of Immunesenescence Present in Early Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis

THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Some features of immunesenescence are present in the very early stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Sept. 3 in eBioMedicine.

Karim Raza, B.M.B.Ch., Ph.D., from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the presence of immunesenescence in the early stages of RA development, including in patients with clinically suspected arthralgia and undifferentiated arthritis. A total of 224 participants were recruited: 69 healthy controls; 32 with clinically suspected arthralgia; 44 with undifferentiated arthritis; 23 with newly presenting disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-naive RA and three months or less symptom duration; and 56 with DMARD-naive RA and more than three months symptom duration.

The researchers found that patients with arthralgia or undifferentiated arthritis had reduced frequencies of naive CD4 T cells and recent thymic emigrants. Only once RA was established were other features of immunesenescence seen, including raised frequency of Th17, Tregs, and senescent-like T cells. In patients during early stages of the disease, the IMM-AGE (immuno-aging) score and other hallmarks of aging (inflammation, autophagic defects) were elevated. In patients with arthralgia, there was evidence of immunesenescence features as a predictor of RA development.

“We”ve discovered that immune aging isn”t just a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis — it may be a driver of the disease itself,” senior author Niharika Duggal, also from the University of Birmingham, said in a statement. “We found that people in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, i.e. before a clinical diagnosis, show signs of faster immune system aging.”

Abstract/Full Text