LACK OF EXPRESSION OF C-MYC ONCOGENE IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS OF PATIENTS WITHIN ACTIVE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

We looked for the expression of c-myc oncogene, one of the genes that enhance apoptosis, in 11 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA ) along with five patients with osteoarthritis (OA) knee as disease co ntrols and six healthy volunteers. A dot-blot assay using a probe spec ific for c-myc oncogene was performed on total RNA obtained from perip heral blood mononuclear cells. There was no expression in patients wit h active RA and healthy volunteers. One patient with OA expressed c-my c. Lack of expression of c-myc suggests that in active RA circulating lymphocytes are not in the replicative phase despite ongoing disease a ctivity.