Egr2 and 3 control inflammation, but maintain homeostasis, of PD-1high memory phenotype CD4 T cells

PD-1^high memory CD4 T cells are pathogenic in autoimmune disease; here they show their expression of Egr2 is defective in rheumatoid arthritis and Egr2 & 3 control their inflammation and homeostasis.

The transcription factors Egr2 and 3 are essential for controlling inflammatory autoimmune responses of memory phenotype (MP) CD4 T cells. However, the mechanism is still unclear. We have now found that the Egr2⁺ subset (PD-1^high MP) of MP CD4 T cells expresses high levels of checkpoint molecules (PD-1 and Lag3) and also markers of effector T cells (CXCR3 and ICAM-1). Egr2/3 are not required for PD-1^high MP CD4 cell development but mediate a unique transcriptional programme that effectively controls their inflammatory responses, while promoting homeostatic proliferation and adaptive responses. Egr2 negative PD-1^high MP CD4 T cells are impaired in homeostatic proliferation and adaptive responses against viral infection but display inflammatory responses to innate stimulation such as IL-12. PD-1^high MP CD4 T cells have recently been implicated in rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis, and we have now found that Egr2 expression is reduced in PD-1^high MP CD4 T cells from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis compared with healthy controls. These findings demonstrate that Egr2/3 control the inflammatory responses of PD-1^high MP CD4 T cells and maintain their adaptive immune fitness.