Selective expansion of T cells bearing the gamma/delta receptor and expressing an unusual repertoire in the synovial membrane of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
In a study of 7 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we characterized the T cell population present in the synovial membrane, thought to be the location where T cells trigger the disease. Synovial membrane lymphocytes from the RA patients were found to have a selective expansion of gamma/delta T cells (8.8% in synovial membrane versus 4% in peripheral blood). Expansion of the gamma/delta T cell subset was not found in the synovial membrane of patients with osteoarthritis. We characterized the gamma/delta T cell repertoire using monoclonal antibodies Ti gamma A, BB3, and delta TCS1, which recognize the gene products encoded by V gamma 9, V delta 2, and V delta 1-J delta 1, respectively. The majority of the synovial gamma/delta T cells did not express the repertoire encoded by these genes, which is found in nearly 100% of the peripheral blood gamma/delta T cells of healthy volunteer donors and in the thymus at early stages of development. We conclude that the synovial membrane of patients with RA displays a selective expansion of a specific population of gamma/delta T cells expressing a clonotypic receptor not yet serologically defined, which might be implicated in the development of the disease.
Andreu
J L
JL
Centro de Biología Molecular (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
Trujillo
A
A
Alonso
J M
JM
Mulero
J
J
Martínez
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta