title: Ability of T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis to respond to immunoglobulin G.
abstract: The ability of T cells from rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to respond to immunoglobulin G (IgG) was assessed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from RA patients and normal individuals were cultured with and without human IgG or Mycobacterium tuberculosis-purified protein derivative (PPD) for 7 days and their proliferative response measured at intervals by their ability to take up tritiated thymidine. PBMC from 14/26 RA patients proliferated in response to IgG (taking a stimulation index of 3 or above as positive). The peak response varied between individuals but usually occurred on day 5, the same day, or 1 day later than the peak response to PPD. By contrast, PBMC from a significantly lower proportion (1/9) of normal individuals and patients with other arthritides (0/6) responded to IgG, although all responded to PPD. PBMC from 9/14 RA patients responded to Fab fragments of IgG but only 3/9 to the Fc fragment. Higher proliferative responses from RA PBMC were elicited by IgG aggregates than the original IgG preparation, but PMBC from 5/5 normal individuals and 5/6 patients with other arthritides failed to respond to the aggregates. The response to IgG was human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR restricted and mediated by CD4+ T cells. It is considered that these results advance the hypothesis that IgG-reactive T cells contribute to the initiation or perpetuation of RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Macht
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kirwan
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wraith
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Elson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G