Differential impact of high and low penetrance TNFRSF1A gene mutations on conventional and regulatory CD4+ T cell functions in TNFR1-associated periodic syndrome

TNFR-associated periodic syndrome is an autoinflammatory disorder caused by autosomal-dominant mutations in TNFRSF1A, the gene encoding for TNFR superfamily 1A. The lack of knowledge in the field of TNFR-associated periodic syndrome biology is clear, particularly in the context of control of immune self-tolerance. We investigated how TNF-alpha/TNFR superfamily 1A signaling can affect T cell biology, focusing on conventional CD4(+)CD25(-) and regulatory CD4(+)CD25(+) T cell functions in patients with TNFR-associated periodic syndrome carrying either high or low penetrance TNFRSF1A mutations. Specifically, we observed that in high penetrance TNFR-associated periodic syndrome, at the molecular level, these alterations were secondary to a hyperactivation of the ERK1/2, STAT1/3/5, mammalian target of rapamycin, and NF-kappa B pathways in conventional T cells. In addition, these patients had a lower frequency of peripheral regulatory T cells, which also displayed a defective suppressive phenotype. These alterations were partially found in low penetrance TNFR-associated periodic syndrome, suggesting a specific link between the penetrance of the TNFRSF1A mutation and the observed T cell phenotype. Taken together, our data envision a novel role for adaptive immunity in the pathogenesis of TNFR-associated periodic syndrome involving both CD4(+) conventional T cells and T-regs, suggesting a novel mechanism of inflammation in the context of autoinflammatory disorders.