title: T cell receptor V beta gene bias in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology was employed to examine peripheral blood and synovial T cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for biased utilization of T cell receptor (TCR) variable region (V) genes. Oligonucleotide primers specific for individual TCR V beta gene families were used to amplify TCR gene products in a semiquantitative assay of their relative utilization in unselected T cell populations. Mean V beta expression in 24 RA peripheral blood samples was very similar to that in a panel of 15 normal subjects, except for a slight decrease in V beta 13.2 expression. V beta utilization in 8 RA synovial tissue samples and 13 synovial fluid samples was compared to simultaneously obtained blood samples. Although heterogeneous patterns of skewed V beta utilization were observed, several significant trends emerged. By a number of approaches to data analysis, a statistically significant increase in expression of V beta 6 and V beta 15 in synovial T cells was documented. In addition, increased synovial expression of V beta 14 was found, but only in the synovial fluid samples. Reduced expression of V beta 1, V beta 4, V beta 5.1, V beta 10, V beta 16, and V beta 19 was also observed in synovial T cells. These results indicate that biased V beta gene utilization in different peripheral compartments of RA patients can be observed in unselected T cell populations, and are consistent with the conclusion that populations of T cells expressing these V beta gene products may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Harold C. Simmons Arthritis Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas 75235.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikaein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meek
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Lipsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D004247:DNA