title: Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen, interleukin 2 and interleukin 2 inhibitor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: IL-2 production by the phytohemaglutinin (PHA)-stimulated mononuclear cells (MNC) of peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), other arthritic diseases (OAD) and age-matched normal controls were studied, and the activity of IL-2 inhibitor in sera of studied subject was examined. The significant decreased IL-2 production by PB MNC from the patients with RA (p < 0.05) and OAD (p < 0.05) were observed when compared with normal controls, and no statistical difference was found although IL-2 levels in RA PB were lower than in OAD PB. However, significant statistical difference (p < 0.01) was found when the IL-2 production by RA SF was compared with OAD SF. Serum IL-2 inhibitory factor was examined by IL-2-dependent mouse helper T cell line (HT-2). Significantly higher inhibitory activity was found in RA patients (p = 0.001) compared to OAD and normal control patients. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) antigen was also examined from patients with RA and OAD, and 55.5% of SF from RA patients were positive for MT antigens and none was detected in OAD by a highly specific and sensitive double-antibody sandwich ELISA. However, no correlation between MT antigens, IL-2 levels and IL-2 inhibitory activities were found in patients with RA. Our results and other indicate that rheumatoid SF MNC, IL-2 inhibitor and MT antigen may play important roles in the pathogenesis of RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000172:deficiency; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007376:Interleukin-2