Immunohistochemical study of Fas antigen expression in synovial tissues from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the location and expression of Fas (Apo-1, CD-95) antigen in synovial tissue from rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Immunohistochemical technique was used to identify the location and expression of Fas antigen in synovial tissues from 27 RA, 11 osteoarthritis (OA), 7 ankloysing spondylitis (AS), 3 pigmented villo-hyperplastic synovitis, 1 juvenile rheumatoid (JRA) patients and 5 "normal" control subjects.


RESULTS
Fas was strongly expressed by synoviocytes and infiltrated lymphocytes in approximately two-thirds of RA patients (16/27). However, only weak expression occurred on lymphocytes in 3 of 11 OA, 1 of 7 AS patients and 1 of 5 "normal" subjects. The stain-positive substance in the forms of rings, granules, or dust was deposited on the cell membrane and in cytoplasm.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of Fas may be involved in the mechanism of synovium proliferation and abnormal activation of local lymphocytes in RA.
Yu
Q
Q
Department of Rheumatology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
Liu
X
X
Shi
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000276:immunology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis*
D019014:fas Receptor