Immune imbalance in the synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients: effects of intra-articular injection of thymopentin.
T cell subsets in the synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood (PB) of RA patients and controls suffering from different forms of chronic synovitis have been investigated. The immunological evaluation showed a reduction of CD4 subsets in RA-SF compared to RA-PB (p less than 0.001), and an almost complete absence of the suppressor-inducer/naive T cells in RA-SF compared to RA-PB and SF from patients with other forms of chronic synovitis. The CD8 subpopulation showed an increased proportion of cytotoxic cells only in RA-SF. On the basis of these results, an intra-articular immunomodulating treatment with thymopentin has been performed: its effects were characterized by an increase of CD8+CD11b+ T cells in the CD8 subset parallel to the enhancement of the suppressor-inducer/naive T cells in the CD4 subset with a statistically significant correlation. The enhanced levels of soluble CD8 decreased after treatment in RA-SF, whereas the soluble IL-2R levels were not significantly modified. Clinical evaluation showed a significative amelioration in all considered parameters.
Afeltra
A
A
Institute of Clinica Medica III, University of Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
Galeazzi
M
M
Basso
P
P
Pietrucci
A
A
De Pità
O
O
Ferri
G M
GM
Porzio
F
F
Bonomo
L
L
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D005260:Female; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D016305:Thymopentin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D016305:Thymopentin