The use of T cell subtyping to distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from systemic lupus erythematosus.
The use of T cell subtyping to distinguish rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was evaluated. We determined the distribution of IgG Fe receptor T cells (TG), IgM Fc receptor T cells (TM), and T cells lacking Fc receptors (Tnull) in 17 patients with RA and 7 patients with SLE. All RA patients including 3 antinuclear antibody positive-rheumatoid factor negative cases had normal numbers and percentages of TG, TM, and Tnull, whereas all SLE patients had a relative and absolute deficiency of TG. This TG lymphopenia was a better discriminator for SLE (7 of 7 SLE, 0 of 17 RA) than anti-DNA antibodies, hypocomplementemia, circulating immune complexes or total number of T cells.
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002452:Cell Count; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000032:analysis; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003176:Complement C3; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor