title: Analysis of T cell receptor V beta regions expressed by rheumatoid synovial T lymphocytes.
abstract: The T cell receptor (TCR) V beta gene segment repertoire of T lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood of two healthy individuals and synovial tissue, synovial fluid and peripheral blood of three rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients was analyzed. A sensitive assay based on the amplification of cDNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to analyze the levels of expression of 20 TCR V beta gene segment families. The relative expression of V beta gene segments in lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood, synovial tissue and synovial fluid was conserved over 155 days in one patient. V beta 9 transcripts were undetectable in the cells of this individual. In the two other patients the frequency of V beta 2 transcripts in synovial T cells of affected joints was significantly higher than in their peripheral blood lymphocytes. Dominance of distinct rearrangements among the V beta 2 transcripts from the synovial cells of these patients support the idea that the synovial T cell response is driven by antigen.
authors.affiliation: Klinische Forschergruppe für Rheumatologie, Universitätsklinik, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pluschke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ginter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taube
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melchers
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Krawinkel
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta