title: Increase in adhesion molecules on CD4+ cells and CD4+ cell subsets in synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the role of adhesion molecules in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated their expression and that of an activation marker on CD4+ cell populations and CD4+ cell subsets in specimens of peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) obtained from 10 patients with RA and 7 with osteoarthritis (OA). A 2 or 3-color immunofluorescent method was used for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SF from both groups of patients showed a greater density of adhesion molecules including LFA-1 alpha, LFA-1 beta, CD2, VLA-4 alpha and VLA-5 alpha on CD4+ cells, and a higher percentage of CD4+HLA-DR+ cells compared with their PB. IN PB-CD4+ cell subsets from the arthritic and healthy subjects, the CD4+CD45RO+ cell population showed an increased expression of adhesion molecules compared with CD4+CD45RA+ cell population. The expression of adhesion molecules on circulating CD4+ cell population and CD4+ cell subsets from the patients with RA and OA was comparable to that from healthy subjects. SF from both groups of patients showed a higher percentage of CD4+CD45RO+ cells and a lower percentage of CD4+CD45RA+ cells. In SF-CD4+ cell subsets from patients with RA, the CD4+CD45RO+ cell population had an increased expression of VLA-4 alpha compared to the CD4+CD45RA+ cell population; however, there was no significant difference in other adhesion molecule expression and the percentage of HLA-DR+ cells between the 2 cell subsets. Furthermore, the expression of VLA-4 alpha on the CD4+CD45RO+ cell population in SF from patients with RA was significantly higher than that in matched PB. In CD4+CD45RA+ cell population from both groups of patients, SF showed an enhanced expression of adhesion molecules and an increased percentage of HLA-DR+ cells compared with matched PB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that increased expression of adhesion molecules and increased percentage of HLA-DR+ cells on CD4+ cells in SF may be responsible for cellular interactions between these cells and synovial cells or extracellular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Sasebo Central Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ida
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagataki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tominaga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens