PERIPHERAL-BLOOD IN SJOGRENS-SYNDROME DOES NOT CONTAIN INCREASED LEVELS OF T-LYMPHOCYTES REACTIVE WITH THE RECOMBINANT RO SS-A 52 KD AND LA/SS-R 48 KD AUTOANTIGENS/

Patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) frequently have anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B autoantibodies. The aim of this study was to investigate if these patients have peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) secreting I FN-gamma after short-term cultivation in the presence of Ro/SS-A and L a/SS-B antigens. The frequency of PBL secreting IFN-gamma was examined in 12 SS patients and 11 healthy controls. The enzyme-linked immunosp ot (ELISPOT) assay was performed after 48 hours cultivation of PBL in the presence of recombinant Po 52 kD protein or recombinant La 48 kD p rotein. The number of unstimulated IFN-gamma secreting cells in the SS patient group was not significantly different from that of the contro l group. Moreover, no increase in the number of IFN-gamma secreting ce lls after Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B stimulation was detected in the two grou ps, Thus, T cells reactive with the recombinant Po 52 kD and La 48 kD proteins do not occur with any increased frequency in peripheral blood of SS patients.