title: T-cell clonality in synovial fluid from rheumatoid joints before and after culture in interleukin-2.
abstract: T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma gene rearrangements which have been amplified in polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and analysed by high resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis have been used to investigate the clonal diversity of T-cells in joint effusions from 16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, one with systemic lupus erythematosus and one with psoriatic arthropathy. Polyclonality was found in every case but an oligoclonal subset of dominant rearrangements was also demonstrated in all but the patient with psoriasis. Marked changes in the relative preponderance of the various clonotypes were observed in 29 of 48 paired tests from 12 cases before and after culture in media containing interleukin-2 (IL-2) showing that SF mononuclear cells cultured in vitro with IL-2 are not representative of those present in vivo.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Pathology, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sturrock
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Goudie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2