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T‐Cell Immunoregulatory Functions in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Author(s) -
EGELAND T.,
LEA T.,
MELLBYE O. J.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1983.tb01807.x
Subject(s) - pokeweed mitogen , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , rheumatoid arthritis , cytotoxic t cell , suppressor , cell , immunology , medicine , t cell , immune system , stimulation , antibody , b cell , cancer research , in vitro , biology , endocrinology , cancer , genetics
We have studied the immunoregulatory function of T8 + (suppressor/cytotoxic) and Leu3a + (inducer/helper) T cells from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by measuring the effect of these T‐cell subpopulations on the generation of immunoglobulin‐secreting cells by normal allogeneic B cells after stimulation with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in vitro. When T8 + or Leu3a + cells from blood or synovial tissue from nine patients were substituted for T8 + or Leu3a + cells, respectively, from normal blood mononuclear cells (MNC). RA T8 + cells showed an increased suppressor activity, whereas RA Leu3a + cells were, except for one patient, weak augmentors. Unreplaced normal MNC and MNC replaced with allogeneic normal T‐cell subpopulations responded equally to PWM. When T8 + plus Leu3a + cells from the same patient replaced normal T cells, high B‐cell responses were detected. Normal T8 + plus Leu3a + cells generally supported the response to a lower degree. Substitution with two allogeneic T‐cell subpopulations did not result in a B‐cell response to PWM. Thus, whereas RA T8 + seemed to be strong suppressors and RA Leu3a + cells weak augmentors by themselves, together they are possibly able to generate a B‐cell stimulatory potential that might be of pathogenetic significance in the patients.