Lymphocyte activation status, expression of adhesion molecules and adhesion to human endothelium in rheumatoid arthritis--relationship to disease activity.
The synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by infiltration with inflammatory cells, mainly memory helper cells (CD4+CD29+). An important initiating step in tissue infiltration is the adhesion of peripheral blood lymphocytes to the vascular endothelium. Therefore, we studied lymphocyte-endothelium adhesion in 40 RA patients and in 19 controls by a sensitive fluorimetric assay, using human umbilical vascular endothelial cells. Furthermore, expression of adhesion molecules VLA (CD29) and LFA-1 (CD11a) on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was determined. In order to evaluate the activation state of lymphocytes, the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R) was measured. The relationship to disease activity was evaluated using the Ritchie articular index. RA patients had a higher percentage of CD4+ cells (p < 0.005) and a lower percentage of CD8+ cells (p < 0.001) than controls did. The CD4+CD29+/CD4+CD29- ratio and the CD8+CD29+/CD8+CD29- ratio were increased in patients with active RA (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively) and in patients with inactive disease (p = 0.09 and p < 0.005, respectively) compared with controls. LFA-1 (CD11a) was present on almost all T lymphocytes and its density did not differ between patients and controls. Serum levels of sIL2R were significantly higher in both patient groups compared with controls (p < 0.0005); patients with active disease showed significantly higher levels than patients with inactive disease (p < 0.05). Lymphocyte-endothelium adhesion was not increased in patients, although the expression of the adhesion molecule CD29 on T lymphocytes of RA patients was higher.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mertens
A V
AV
Department of Immunology, Allergology and Rheumatology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
de Clerck
L S
LS
Moens
M M
MM
Bridts
C H
CH
Stevens
W J
WJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2