title: Effects of the neuropeptide, substance P, on lymphocyte proliferation in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: There is evidence supporting the involvement of the neuropeptide, substance P, in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. In view of the suggested role of T-cells in this disease, we have investigated the effects of substance P on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 25 controls were cultured in the presence or absence of substance P (10(-10) M to 10(-6) M) and stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin or concanavalin A. After 3 days of culture the proliferative responses were determined by measuring [3H]thymidine incorporation into the cells. Substance P enhanced, in a dose-dependent manner, the lymphocyte proliferative responses both in rheumatoid arthritis patients and in controls. Although there was a trend towards a greater enhancing effect in the rheumatoid arthritis patients, this was not statistically significant. Some individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed enhancements of lymphocyte proliferation with substance P that were clearly outside the range seen in healthy controls. The possibility that substance P has a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis through the up-regulation of lymphocyte activation should be considered in further studies of the immunomodulatory properties of substance P in arthritis.
authors: Medicine 2/Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, Portugal.
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Covas
authors: L A
authors: LA
authors: Pinto
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Pereira Da Silva
authors: R M
authors: RM
authors: Victorino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013373:Substance P / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D003208:Concanavalin A; D013373:Substance P; D004247:DNA; D013936:Thymidine