A study of the effect of rheumatoid synovial fluid on proliferation and IL-2 production by total mononuclear cells and purified CD4+ cells of synovial fluid and peripheral blood.
T cells from synovial fluid (SF) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have previously been shown to proliferate less after mitogenic stimulation and produce less interleukin 2 (IL-2) than normal T cells. To test whether SF is responsible for the reduced T-cell responses, we studied the effect of inflammatory SF on peripheral blood (PB) RA and normal mononuclear cells (MNC) and CD4+ T cells and on RA SF MNC and CD4+ cells in vitro. Most rheumatoid SF present in concentrations of 50% and 5% during in vitro stimulation increased mitogen-induced IL-2 production and proliferative response by normal PB and RA MNC and CD4+ cells. Other rheumatoid SF samples did not influence the T cell responses, while only a few samples had an inhibitory effect. The results indicate that SF contain both stimulatory and inhibitory factors and that the resultant effect on T cells may depend on the net effect of these. The results do not support the hypothesis that the apparently impaired function of SF T cells is due to contact with SF.
Hovdenes
J
J
Institute of Immunology and Rheumatology, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Hovdenes
A B
AB
Egeland
T
T
Kvien
T K
TK
Mellbye
O J
OJ
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2