Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis suppress erythropoiesis in vitro via the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha.
Anemia is a frequent manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, with a probably multifactorial etiology. We investigated the effect of peripheral blood mononuclear cell supernatants (PBMCS) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on hematopoietic colony formation in vitro, by using a methylcellulose assay. PBMCS from patients suppress in vitro erythroid (BFU-E), mixed-lineage (CFU-GEMM) and to a lesser degree granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) progenitors. PBMCS from anemic RA patients were more suppressive for BFU-E than those from non-anemic patients. Addition of antibodies to tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) almost completely reversed the inhibition of BFU-E and CFU-GEMM, but had little effect on the CFU-GM colony formation. Antibodies to interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) were not effective. The above data suggest that PBMCS from RA patients suppress in vitro erythropoiesis via the production of TNF alpha; a pathogenetic role for TNF alpha in the anemia of RA can be implied.
Katevas
P
P
Department of Internal Medicine, Patras University Medical School, Greece.
Andonopoulos
A P
AP
Kourakli-Symeonidis
A
A
Manopoulou
E
E
Lafi
T
T
Makri
M
M
Zoumbos
N C
NC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood*; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000906:Antibodies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha