Open AccessSelective expansion of t cells bearing the γ/δ receptor and expressing an unusual repertoire in the synovial membrane of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Author(s) -
Andreu Jose L.,
Trujillo Angeles,
Alonso Jose M.,
Mulero Juan,
MartínezA Carlos
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/art.1780340705
Subject(s) - synovial membrane , rheumatoid arthritis , population , immunology , monoclonal antibody , osteoarthritis , synovial fluid , medicine , arthritis , pathology , biology , antibody , microbiology and biotechnology , alternative medicine , environmental health
In a study of 7 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we characterized the T cell population present in the synovial membrane, thought to be the location where T cells trigger the disease. Synovial membrane lymphocytes from the RA patients were found to have a selective expansion of γ/δ T cells (8.8% in synovial membrane versus 4% in peripheral blood). Expansion of the γ/δ T cell subset was not found in the synovial membrane of patients with osteoarthritis. We characterized the γ/δ T cell repertoire using monoclonal antibodies TiγA, BB3, and δTCS1, which recognize the gene products encoded by V γ 9, V δ 2, and V δ 1‐J δ 1, respectively. The majority of the synovial γ/δ T cells did not express the repertoire encoded by these genes, which is found in nearly 100% of the peripheral blood γ/δ T cells of healthy volunteer donors and in the thymus at early stages of development. We conclude that the synovial membrane of patients with RA displays a selective expansion of a specific population of γ/δ T cells expressing a clonotypic receptor not yet serologically defined, which might be implicated in the development of the disease.