Increased population of high fluorescence 1F7 (CD26) antigen on T cells in synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the activation of T cells in peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
The expression of CD26 (Ta1 and 1F7) antigen on T cells was analyzed in 7 women with RA and 7 healthy control subjects by immunofluorescence.


RESULTS
The percentage of CD3+ CD26+ cells was significantly higher in PB of patients with RA compared with healthy subjects. The IF7+ cell population was divided into high (1F7+high cells) and low fluorescence populations (1F7+low cells), based on 1F7 antigen density. The percentage of 1F7+high cells in SF of RA was markedly increased compared with PB of patients and healthy subjects. However, RA SF contained lower percentages of whole 1F7+ cells compared with PB.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that SF of patients with RA contains activated T cells, and suggest that T cells with high levels of CD26 antigen may preferentially migrate into the rheumatoid synovium to induce inflammation and tissue destruction.
Mizokami
A
A
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Eguchi
K
K
Kawakami
A
A
Ida
H
H
Kawabe
Y
Y
Tsukada
T
T
Aoyagi
T
T
Maeda
K
K
Morimoto
C
C
Nagataki
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D018819:Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D017252:CD3 Complex; D018819:Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4