title: Lymphocytotoxic antibodies in Israeli patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The presence, antigenic specificity, and clinical role of lymphocytotoxic antibodies (LCAs) were studied in 72 Israeli patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Using the microlymphocytotoxicity assay on a cell panel of 47 donors, LCAs were found in 55% of the 72 RA sera, each displaying a distinct pattern of anti-lymphocytic reactivity, mostly against B lymphocytes. Human lymphocytic antigens (HLA) analysis of donors' lymphocytes suggested that activity of LCA-positive RA sera is HLA directed in 60% of cytotoxic sera. The anti-HLA antibodies found were not autoreactive and were not restricted to a particular class I or class II antigen. Relating the presence of LCAs to selective clinical features revealed that LCAs are inversely associated with the presence of an erosive disease (P <0.01) and with the patients' HLA-DQw1 (P <0.01). These findings suggest that LCAs in Israeli patients with RA are very common, multispecific and may have a protective role not mediated through interaction with self-HLA antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Livneh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Renert
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Avishai
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langevitz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gazit
mesh_terms: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D006680:HLA Antigens