title: Phenotypes of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Findings in patients with varying disease activity and clinical subgroups.
abstract: The percentage of T4 and T8 positive cells in peripheral blood of 78 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 26 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) was determined using a rosette technique. The T4/T8 ratio +/- SEM (standard error of the mean) in the RA patients was increased, 2.02 +/- 0.09, as compared with normal blood donors, 1.71 +/- 0.06 (p less than 0.02). The subgroups of RA patients who had a significantly increased T4/T8 ratio were ANA positive patients (p less than 0.02) and patients on no medication (p less than 0.05). In the total group of JRA patients the T4/T8 ratio was 2.01 +/- 0.12 versus 1.75 +/- 0.08 in controls (p = 0.061). Polyarticular JRA patients had an increased T4/T8 ratio as compared with controls (p less than 0.05) while patients with the pauciarticular form had a normal ratio (p greater than 0.10). No correlation between the T4/T8 ratio and a disease outcome index, a laboratory activity index, ESR, WBC, platelet count, hemoglobin, serum albumin, age and disease duration was found (K less than +/- 0.20, p greater than 0.10).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and Rheumatology, Rikshospitalet, National Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thoen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Førre
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor