title: Association of in vitro immune functions with the severity of the disease in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The production of immunoglobulins in vitro by lymphocytes from rheumatoid patients has been earlier shown to be defective. This report describes a 2-year follow up study which shows that this defect is associated with the severity of RA. Pokeweed mitogen and Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I were used to stimulate in vitro immunoglobulin production by lymphocytes from patients with recent onset RA, and the relationship of responses to clinical characteristics were studied. Impaired polyclonal IgM synthesis, already detectable at the onset of disease, associated with joint destructions observed after a 2-year follow up period. Further, phytohaemagglutinin-induced interleukin-2 (IL-2) release by the cells of patients with erosive disease was found to be reduced compared to cells from patients without eroded joints. The results indicate that altered immune functions--manifested as decreased production of IgM and IL-2--in RA are involved in the progression of the disease and affect the outcome of patients and, thus, represent an unfavourable prognostic feature.
authors.affiliation: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Cell Biology, Finland.
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Jokinen
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Möttönen
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hannonen
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Arvilommi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens