Clonal analysis of joint fluid T lymphocytes in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Synovial fluid (SF) lymphocytes from 4 patients with pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and 4 patients with polyarticular JRA were examined for their phenotypic and functional characteristics. In all 8 patients there was a high proportion of activated SF T cells, together with an increased proportion of CD2+CD3- and the presence of CD3+CD4-CD8-WT31- lymphocytes. The functional analysis at the clonal level in 5 patients (427 clones) showed a relevant proportion of cytotoxic T cell clones, which were not confined to typically cytolytic phenotypes, but were also present among CD3+CD4+CD8- cultures. Compared to those with pauciarticular JRA, patients with polyarticular disease had a significantly higher proportion of T cell clones with cytotoxic activity. Although derived from a limited number of patients, our data suggest a direct involvement of T cells in the pathogenetic mechanisms that originate and maintain the articular damage, and the possibility of different or more pronounced T cell reactivities in the clinically more diffuse JRA types.
De Maria
A F
AF
Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, University of Genoa, Italy.
Malnati
M S
MS
Poggi
A
A
Pende
D
D
Cottafava
F
F
Moretta
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell