Abstract
Synovial and peripheral blood T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis are functionally deficient. This may be secondary to their reduced cytokine (e.g. interleukin-2) synthesis. We have investigated the possibility of an alteration in pathways common to interleukin-2 production and proliferation in peripheral blood T cells from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Intracellular calcium levels ([Ca2+]i) were analyzed by flow cytometric methods in Indo1-loaded T cells. These were purified by negative selection from patients or age/sex-matched controls, and stimulated with phytohemagglutinin-P or anti-CD3. Rheumatoid [Ca2+]i responses to both stimuli were reduced (p <0.005). Patient cell samples included a larger proportion of non-responding cells, but even in the responsive population the magnitude of the response in rheumatoid cells was impaired compared with those in normal cell samples (p <0.0001) for both stimuli. Proliferation responses were also impaired (p <0.005), and there was a positive correlation between the paired [Ca2+]i elevation and proliferative responses for both stimuli. CD2 and CD3 expression were normal, and the proportions of CD4, CD8 and CD45RO and CD45RA subsets were also unaffected by disease. Thus a signaling defect downstream of CD2 or CD3 surface molecules may contribute to functional deficiencies in rheumatoid T lymphocytes. This effect is not due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which some patients were taking. We have demonstrated similar alterations in [Ca2+]i responses and proliferation in a smaller study of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, indicating that such changes might be present in other chronic inflammatory states.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1547-54 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | European Journal of Immunology |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 1995 |
Keywords
- Calcium
- Interleukin-2
- Humans
- Antigens, CD
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid
- Flow Cytometry
- Signal Transduction
- Male
- Female
- T-Lymphocytes
- Cell Division