Key clinical point: Elevated T helper (Th)1, Th17, or Th1/T-regulatory (Treg) cell frequencies in the peripheral blood were significantly associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Major finding: The percentage of Th1 cells (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.05; P = .0027], absolute number of Th17 cells (aOR, 1.11; P = .0046), and ratio of Th1/Treg (aOR, 1.08; P = .0374) were significantly associated with AF development in RA.
Study details: This was a retrospective case-control study of 40 patients with RA and AF who were propensity matched (1:3) with 120 control patients with RA.
Disclosures: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Excellent Youth Foundation of Shanxi Province. No conflict of interests was reported.
Source: Wang X et al. Front Immunol. 2021 Oct 15. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.744254 .