ANALYSIS OF T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA REGIONS EXPRESSED BY RHEUMATOID SYNOVIAL T-LYMPHOCYTES

The T cell receptor (TCR) Vbeta gene segment repertoire of T lymphocyt es derived from peripheral blood of two healthy individuals and synovi al tissue, synovial fluid and peripheral blood of three rheumatoid art hritis (RA) patients was analyzed. A sensitive assay based on the ampl ification of cDNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to a nalyze the levels of expression of 20 TCR Vbeta gene segment families. The relative expression of Vbeta gene segments in lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood, synovial tissue and synovial fluid was conserv ed over 155 days in one patient. Vbeta9 transcripts were undetectable in the cells of this individual. In the two other patients the frequen cy of Vbeta2 transcripts in synovial T cells of affected joints was si gnificantly higher than in their peripheral blood lymphocytes. Dominan ce of distinct rearrangements among the Vbeta2 transcripts from the sy novial cells of these patients support the idea that the synovial T ce ll response is driven by antigen.