Abnormal T cell receptor V beta gene expression in the peripheral blood and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess T cell receptor V beta-gene expression in the peripheral blood and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients.


METHODS
Cytometric analysis was performed on peripheral blood and synovial fluid lymphocytes from 12 patients using a restricted set of V beta-specific monoclonal antibodies (to V beta 5.1-3, V beta 6.7 and V beta 8). In 5 patients the expression of the V beta 1 through V beta 20 gene families was also analysed, using a recently described method based on a one-side-specificity polymerase chain reaction coupled to reverse dot hybridization.


RESULTS
Cytometric analysis failed to show any consistent difference in the expression of V beta 5, 6 and 8 between the two compartments on the one hand, or between the peripheral blood of normal individuals and patients on the other hand. The PCR/dot hybridization method did not demonstrate a significant difference in the V beta repertoires between peripheral blood and synovial fluid samples from arthritis patients. However, in all patients the V beta 6, 13 and/or 14 families were expressed to a high level, so that these families frequently represented over 40% of the V beta 1-20 repertoire in both compartments, instead of the approximately 20% seen in normal peripheral blood samples.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that V beta 6, 13 and 14 are overexpressed in both the peripheral blood and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to normal samples.
Huchenq
A
A
CRPG-CNRS, UPR8291, Toulouse, France.
Champagne
E
E
Sevin
J
J
Riond
J
J
Tkaczuck
J
J
Mazieres
B
B
Cambon-Thomsen
A
A
Cantagrel
A
A
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001790:Blood Physiological Phenomena; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000502:physiology*
D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta