Proliferative responses of T-cell lines grown from joint fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritides.
T-cell lines were established by culturing, in the presence of IL-2, mononuclear cells obtained from synovial fluids (SF) of most (77%) patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). By contrast, SF from patients with osteoarthritis and crystal synovitis rarely yielded lines. The cell lines were identified as T-cells because they express the CD3 surface antigen and either CD8 or CD4. The ability of the T-cell lines to react with putative antigens was tested using autologous Epstein-Barr virus transformed B-cells (EBV-B) as antigen presenting cells. IgG failed to stimulate proliferation of any RA patients' T-cell lines while Type II collagen stimulated T-cell lines from one RA patient and from one with osteoarthritis. Some T-cell lines (17/26) took up more tritiated thymidine after three days culture with a mixture of autologous SF and irradiated autologous EBV-B than with either alone. The effect could not be ascribed to a mitogen in the RA SF as the fluids failed to stimulate blood mononuclear cells. We consider that RA SF contain a T-cell growth factor which can only exert its effect through an antigen presenting cell (EBV-B).
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013585:Synovitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D006133:Growth Substances