Open AccessRheumatoid factor production by mononuclear cells derived from different sites of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Author(s) -
OTTEN H. G.,
DAHA M. R.,
DOLHAIN R. J. E. M.,
ROOY H. H.,
BREEDVELD F. C.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb03437.x
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , bone marrow , rheumatoid factor , rheumatoid arthritis , antibody , immunology , isotype , medicine , in vitro , biology , monoclonal antibody , biochemistry
SUMMARY To investigate the origin of circulating rheumatoid factor (RF) and the relation between RF production at different sites in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), mononuclear cells derived from bone marrow, synovium and peripheral blood of patients with RA were examined for the presence of plasma cells and for their capacity to produce RF and other immunoglobulins in vitro . Analysis of culture supernatants for the presence of immunoglobulins demonstrated that cells derived from bone marrow, synovium and peripheral blood were all found to be capable of producing every immunoglobuiin and RF isotype investigated. No significant correlations were found between concentrations of immunoglobulin isotypes produced by cells derived from different sites of one individual. Significant correlations were found, however, between concentrations of RF isotypes produced by cells derived from the three sites. These results indicate that the production of RF in the different compartments is not an autonomously regulated process. Mononuclear cells derived from bone marrow were found to be able to produce RF in similar quantities to cells dissociated from synovial tissue. In combination with the fact that circulating immunoglobulins are produced mainly in the bone marrow, this observation suggests that bone marrow is also a major source of circulating RF.