T-cell responses to viral, bacterial and protozoan antigens in rheumatoid inflammation. Selective migration of T cells to synovial tissue.
OBJECTIVE
To identify any preferential or selective migration of T-cell specificities to inflamed tissues of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.


METHODS
Lymphocytes from peripheral blood (PB) and synovial tissue (ST) were isolated from RA patients and stimulated with a panel of crude antigen preparations from 18 bacterial, protozoan and viral sources. Proliferative responses of the T lymphocytes to each antigen and group of antigens were compared in PB and ST. Antigen-specific T-cell clones were developed and their migratory capacities towards synovial chemokines were compared.


RESULTS
ST-derived T cells showed a small but significantly higher stimulation index (SI) to the group of intestinal bacteria compared with PB T cells. Conversely, responses of ST-derived T cells to Acanthamoeba polyphaga (AP) were both profoundly and significantly lower compared with PB-derived T cells. The viral antigens as a whole gave comparable reactivities in blood and ST. The migratory capacity of AP-specific T-cell clones towards chemokines produced by ST was profoundly poorer compared with Campylobacter jejuni- and herpes simplex virus-specific T-cell clones.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate a selective migration of T cells of given specificities to the inflamed rheumatoid synovium.
Shadidi
K R
KR
The National Hospital, Institute of Immunology, Department of Rheumatology Research, Oslo, Norway.
Aarvak
T
T
Jeansson
S
S
Henriksen
J E
JE
Natvig
J B
JB
Thompson
K M
KM
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000276:immunology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000956:Antigens, Viral