Characterisation of T cell clonotypes that accumulated in multiple joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether identical T cell clonotypes accumulate in multiple rheumatoid joints, the clonality of T cells that had infiltrated into synovial tissue (ST) samples simultaneously obtained from multiple joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was analysed.


METHODS
T cell receptor (TCR) beta gene transcripts, amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from ST and peripheral blood lymphocytes of five RA patients, were subjected to single strand conformation polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing.


RESULTS
Approximately 40% of accumulated T cell clonotypes found in one joint of a patient were found in multiple joints in the same patient. Furthermore, identical amino acid sequences were found in TCR beta junctional regions of these clonotypes from different patients with at least one HLA molecule match.


CONCLUSIONS
The T cell clonotypes accumulating in multiple rheumatoid joints may be involved in the perpetuation of polyarthritis by reacting to antigens common to these multiple joints.
Kurokawa
M
M
Rheumatology, Immunology and Genetic Program, Institute of Medical Science, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
Kato
T
T
Masuko-Hongo
K
K
Ueda
S
S
Kobata
T
T
Okubo
M
M
Nishimaki
T
T
Akaza
T
T
Yoshino
S
S
Kasukawa
R
R
Nishioka
K
K
Yamamoto
K
K
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology*
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta