We also found a decreased expression of HVEM on CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and increased expression of BTLA on CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in RA patients, which supports the findings of Shang et al., who showed characteristic patterns of the expression and distribution of BTLA and HVEM in the synovium of RA patients [17]. Here, BTLA is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.