Biased T cell receptor V gene usage in rheumatoid arthritis. Oligoclonal expansion of T cells expressing V alpha 2 genes in synovial fluid but not in peripheral blood.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the T cell receptor (TCR) variable (V) region gene usage in the rheumatoid joint.


METHODS
Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) were used to determine the prevalence of selected V elements on T cells in synovial fluid (SF) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and in peripheral blood (PB) from RA patients and normal controls. V alpha 2-positive PB and SF T cells from 1 patient were cloned by immediate limiting-dilution and analyzed by restriction mapping.


RESULTS
In 9 of 14 RA patients, SF was enriched in at least 1 of the selected V elements, compared with PB. TCR genes of the V alpha 2 family were the most frequently overrepresented in the SF (4 patients). The expanded V alpha 2-positive cells were oligoclonal in SF but heterogeneic in PB.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data showing biased and clonally restricted TCR elements in the rheumatoid joint indicate major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen recognition, rather than a "superantigen," in the pathogenesis of RA.
Bröker
B M
BM
Max-Planck-Society, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
Korthäuer
U
U
Heppt
P
P
Weseloh
G
G
de la Camp
R
R
Kroczek
R A
RA
Emmrich
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology
D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta