Transferrin receptor bearing cells in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Activated, proliferating lymphocytes are a feature of rheumatoid arthritis. They are present both in the synovial membrane and in the peripheral circulation. The expression of transferrin receptors(TFR) is a good marker of cellular proliferation. This study shows increased levels of circulating TFR-bearing lymphocytes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The TFR+ population contains a disproportionately large number of T4+ cells, leading to a high T4:T8 ratio (5:1 in the TFR+ population, compared to 2:1 in the total circulating pool of lymphocytes). This reflects the pattern found in the rheumatoid synovium and suggests that lymphocyte activation in RA may be an extra-articular phenomenon. The TFR+ population also contains a range of non-T cells, including B cells, and a population bearing phenotypic similarities to natural killer (NK) cells.
D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014168:Transferrin