Evolution of the T cell receptor beta repertoire from synovial fluid T cells of patients with juvenile onset rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the level of T cell clonal expansion and the proportion of T cells that persist over time in the synovial fluid (SF) of patients with juvenile onset rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).


METHODS
We collected SF samples from each of 3 patients with JRA at 2 to 3 year intervals. To measure expression across the entire spectrum of Vbeta families in each of 7 fluids examined, we synthesized and amplified dscDNA from all 24 Vbeta families with a single reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
The proportion of clonally expanded T cells and persistent T cells is low and variable among patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The data are supportive of disease models not centered on T cells but centered on the changing nature of the disease over time.
Zhang
H
H
Department of Medicine, Toronto Hospital (Western Division), Canada.
Phang
D
D
Laxer
R M
RM
Silverman
E D
ED
Pan
S
S
Doherty
P J
PJ
D017668:Age of Onset; D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell