Recognition of rheumatoid arthritis synovial antigen by CD4+,CD8- T cell clones established from rheumatoid arthritis joints.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-specific autoantigen(s) recognized by CD4+ T cells in patients with RA.


METHODS
CD4+,CD45RO+ T cell clones were established from the joints of RA patients, and were examined for their proliferative response to synovial cells.


RESULTS
Eight of 146 T cell clones responded to RA synovial cells in a DR-restricted manner. These T cell clones recognized solubilized antigens extracted from RA synovial cells in the presence of DR-matched antigen-presenting cells, but did not respond to those extracted from non-RA synovial cells. The antigens had a molecular weight of 50/25 kd. Five of the 8 T cell clones used T cell receptor BV6, and the remaining clones used BV12.2.


CONCLUSIONS
The antigens recognized by joint-infiltrating CD4+ T cells are present exclusively in RA synovial cells. The expression of these antigens by synovial cells may trigger the autoreactivity of T cells in RA joints.
Toyosaki
T
T
Shionogi Research Laboratories, Shionogi & Company, Ltd., Osaka, Japan.
Tsuruta
Y
Y
Yoshioka
T
T
Takemoto
H
H
Suzuki
R
R
Tomita
T
T
Ochi
T
T
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000941:Antigens / Q000494:pharmacology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D001323:Autoantibodies; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; C038988:HLA-DR9 antigen; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell