Immunoregulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with Bechterew's syndrome.
Seventeen patients with ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's syndrome) were investigated. Only 3 of them had detectable autoantibodies, but the IgA and IgM concentrations in serum were increased (p less than 0.05). The patients had a moderate reduction in con-A-induced suppressor cell activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes as detected in con-A/MLC assay, compared with that of 15 controls (41.0 +/- 8.6% suppression compared with 59.4 +/- 5.2%, mean +/-SEM; 0.05 less than p less than 0.1 one-sided test). No differences were found in the percentages of T gamma cells (suppressor cells) and T mu cells (helper cells) between patients an controls. This is to our knowledge the first report of con-A-induced suppressor cell activity an T lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
D000328:Adult; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins