title: Effect of gold therapy on CD5+ B-cells and TCR gamma delta+ T-cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Circulating CD5+ B-cell levels in 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) not receiving remittive therapy was significantly increased when compared to 17 normal controls (mean +/- SE: RA, 19.7 +/- 2.85%; controls, 11.6 +/- 1.67%; P less than 0.02). In contrast, 24 patients with RA receiving gold sodium thiomalate therapy (GST) had similar CD5+ B-cell levels (11.88 +/- 1.65) when compared to controls and significantly reduced levels when compared to the RA group not receiving remittive agents (P less than 0.01). Furthermore, TCR gamma delta+ T-cell levels were also assessed in these patients groups. These values were not significantly different between any of the groups (controls, 4.46 +/- 1.36%; GST, 6.88 +/- 1.73%; RA, 2.73 +/- 0.55%), although 42% of the GST treated group had gamma delta+ T-cell levels higher than the entire untreated RA group. No correlation was observed between the levels of TCR gamma delta + T-cells and CD5+ B-cells in any of these groups. These results suggested that therapy does influence the level of CD5+ B-cells and gamma delta+ T-cells in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feighery
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bresnihan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Whelan
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D006046:Gold / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D006046:Gold