title: Lymphocyte subsets associated with T cell receptor beta-chain gene rearrangement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and neutropenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of a clonal lymphoid disease in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and neutropenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lymphocytes from 23 RA patients with either current neutropenia or a history of this complication were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients had a clonal rearrangement of the T cell receptor beta-chain gene. Phenotypically, they showed a distinctive pattern characterized by an inverted CD4+:CD8+ cell ratio and an increased number and percentage of CD57+/CD8+ and CD3+/DR+ lymphocytes. None had evidence of a lymphoid malignancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among RA patients with neutropenia, there is a subset who have a subclinical disease resembling T gamma lymphoproliferative disease.
authors.affiliation: Montefiore University Hospital, Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15213.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzales-Chambers
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Przepiorka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winkelstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Starz
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hawk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D010641:Phenotype; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta