Characterization of tissue outgrowth developed in vitro in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: involvement of T cells in the development of tissue outgrowth.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to analyze cellular and cytokine interactions governing the development of synovial tissue outgrowth in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
A single-cell suspension of dissociated synovial tissues of RA patients was cultured for a long period to develop tissue outgrowth. The resulting tissue outgrowth was characterized by immunohistochemical staining and ELISA.


RESULTS
The tissue outgrowth developed in vitro included various cell types, such as macrophage-like synovial cells, fibroblast-like synovial cells and lymphocytes. Even after prolonged cultivation, synovial cells devoid of infiltrating T lymphocytes did not form tissue outgrowth. The outgrowth contained CD3+ cells, LeuM3 (CD14)+ cells and HLA-DR+ cells. The T cells expressed lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-1 and CD2, and the synovial cells expressed intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and LFA-3, suggesting possible interactions via LFA-1/ICAM-1 and CD2/LFA-3. Production of T-cell derived IFN-gamma and IL-17 and synovial-cell-derived fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-1 and IL-15 was confirmed in the tissue outgrowth as well as in RA synovial tissue. These cell types stimulate each other by secreting cytokines, leading to the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 by the tissue outgrowth and proliferation of both lymphocytes and synovial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
This study emphasizes the importance of cellular interactions between T cells and synovial cells, via adhesion molecules and the secretion of cytokines with stimulatory activity towards other cell types, for the hyperactivity of RA synovial cells.
Wakisaka
S
S
Departments of Immunology and Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
Suzuki
N
N
Nagafuchi
H
H
Takeba
Y
Y
Kaneko
A
A
Asai
T
T
Sakane
T
T
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018801:CD2 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D018801:CD2 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1