T cell receptor rearrangements in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: a search for oligoclonality.
Southern blot analysis of DNA from paired samples of synovial compartment (membrane and/or fluid) and peripheral blood T cells from nine children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) was carried out. Using a T cell receptor C beta probe, dominant TCR rearrangements were discovered in specimens from three patients: synovial fluid T cells from one, synovial fluid and synovial membrane cells from a second, and synovial membrane and peripheral blood cells from a third. The patient showing dominant bands in peripheral blood as well as in synovium was the only child in the series with systemic disease. Since non-specific T cell recruitment is likely to dilute antigen specific clones to low levels, the finding of dominant rearrangements in three of nine patients may indicate that oligoclonality is indeed a feature of JRA.
Division of Rheumatology, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, CA 90027.
B H
BH
Bernstein
A M
AM
Miltenburg
J M
JM
van Laar
R
R
Hertzberger
F C
FC
Breedveld
D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D004247:DNA