{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,13]],"date-time":"2026-07-13T14:38:34Z","timestamp":1783953514999,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,13]],"date-time":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741824000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>To investigate the expression of Tim-3 on neutrophils in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and its correlation with disease activity, severity, and inflammatory markers.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Sixty-two AS patients from Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital and 38 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Clinical data, physical exams, and laboratory measurements were recorded. Flow cytometry measured Tim-3 and PD-1 expression on neutrophils, real-time PCR quantified mRNA levels and protein expression of Tim-3 was determined by Western blot. We analyzed the correlation between Tim-3 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) on neutrophils, inflammatory markers, and AS disease activity and severity.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Tim-3 expression on neutrophils was higher in AS patients than in HC, showing a positive correlation with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), c-reactive protein (CRP), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS). Active AS patients (ASDAS \u2265 1.3) had increased Tim-3 MFI compared to inactive ones (ASDAS &amp;lt; 1.3). Regular treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), and conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) over a month significantly reduced Tim-3 MFI in AS patients.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Elevated Tim-3 expression on neutrophils correlates with increased inflammatory markers and AS activity. Treatment lowered Tim-3 MFI, suggesting its potential as an indicator for assessing AS disease activity and severity and as a feedback mechanism to reduce tissue damage from inflammation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2025.1530077","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,13]],"date-time":"2025-03-13T07:04:09Z","timestamp":1741849449000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Expression of Tim-3 on neutrophils as a novel indicator to assess disease activity and severity in ankylosing 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