title: Clinical significance of lymphocyte responsiveness to scleroderma-inducing glycosaminoglycan-associated antigen in systemic scleroderma.
abstract: Twenty-nine patients with systemic scleroderma (SSD), whose lymphocytes significantly responded to a scleroderma-inducing glycosaminoglycan-associated antigen (stimulation index greater than or equal to 1.7), were separated into the two groups of marked and moderate responses, according to the mitogenic response of their peripheral lymphocytes. A marked response, with a [3H]-thymidine uptake of +3 SD over the mean of unstimulated SSD lymphocytes, was seen in severely affected patients with a high OKT4/OKT8 ratio. In contrast, the lymphocytes of patients with benign disease responded moderately to the antigen, showing lower thymidine uptake by both unstimulated and stimulated lymphocytes. This latter group had a high frequency of elevated anti-nRNP antibody.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004261:DNA Replication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013936:Thymidine