title: Immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene utilization by B cell hybridomas derived from rheumatoid synovial tissue.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects synovial joints. Activated B lymphocytes and plasma cells are present in the synovial tissue and are thought to contribute to the immunopathology of the rheumatoid joint. To investigate rheumatoid synovial B lymphocytes, we have generated B cell hybridomas from synovial tissue of an RA patient. Here we describe the immunoglobulin VH gene repertoire of eight IgM- and 10 IgG-secreting synovial-derived hybridomas. The VH4 gene family is highly represented (38.5%) in this panel of hybridomas compared with the frequency of VH4 gene expression in circulating B lymphocytes reported previously (19-22%) and with the VH4 gene frequency we observed in a panel of hybridomas derived in the same manner from the spleen and tonsil of normal individuals (19%). The increased frequency of VH4 gene expression was not due to the expansion of a single B cell clone in vivo as none of these hybridomas was clonally related. Two synovial-derived hybridomas secreted autoantibodies; one (VH3+) secreted an IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF) and the other (VH4+) secreted IgM with polyreactive binding to cytoskeletal proteins and cardiolipin. The antibodies secreted by the remaining synovial-derived hybridomas were not reactive with the autoantigens tested. The VH gene usage in a proportion (5/17) of synovial-derived hybridomas that expressed CD5 antigen provided preliminary evidence that CD5+ B cells in RA synovium have a similar increase of VH4 gene expression reported for CD5+ B cells from normal individuals and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
authors.affiliation: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Hammersmith, London, UK.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longhurst
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plater-Zyberk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malcolm
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Maini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D005260:Female; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region