title: Lymphocyte subsets and mitogen induced proliferation in adjuvant arthritis. Part II. Changes in function and numbers of lymph nodes T lymphocytes.
abstract: To evaluate the effects of lymphocytes on the pathogenesis of adjuvant arthritis (AA), the lymphocytic responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A) and the percentages of T cell subpopulations were investigated in the inguinal lymph nodes of Long-Evans (LE) rats and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats after a single injection of complete Freund's adjuvant. The response of LE to PHA increased to its maximum on the 14th day and correlated with the severity of AA. The responses of LE and SD rats to Con A were decreased on the 7th, 11th, and 14th days. Additionally, percentage of suppressor T cells of LE rats was lower than that of SD rats. Significant increases of percentage of helper T cells and of helper/suppressor T cell ratio were observed in LE rats, indicating a decrease or defect in the suppressor T cells in LE rats. In LE, we postulated that helper T cells are involved in the induction of AA, and a defect in the suppressor T cell function or numbers would subject LE to the development of AA. SD rats, on the other hand, with higher suppressor T cell numbers, were less susceptible to AA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A; D005260:Female; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008934:Mitogens; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D008934:Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A