SYNOVIOCYTE PROLIFERATION IN JOINTS OF SCID MICE INDUCED BY TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME TOXIN-1 STIMULATED T-CELLS FROM PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Objective. To investigate the histopathological arthropathy in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice given intraarticular injection of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) stimulated T cells from patient s with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods, Unstimulated or TSST-1 stim ulated T cell blasts (TB-TSST) of synovial fluid mononuclear cells fro m patients with RA (RASFMC) were intraarticularly injected into the kn ee joints of SCID mice. Four weeks later, the knee joints were histopa thologically examined and the numbers of fibroblasts in the synovial t issues were compared with those of controls, Total RNA of the SCID mou se knee joints was isolated and Southern analysis for human T cell rec eptor (TCR) V beta 2 and human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was carried out. Results, Hyperplasia and increased numbers of the fi broblasts as well as neovascularization of the synovial tissues were o bserved in the SCID mouse knee joint tissues injected with TB-TSST of RASFMC compared with those injected with unstimulated T cells from RAS FMC or with TB-TSST from peripheral blood of healthy controls. Messeng er RNA for human TCR V beta 2 and TNF-alpha were detected in the SCID mouse knee joint tissues injected with TB-TSST from RASFMC. Conclusion , Superantigen TSST-1 stimulated T cells from RASFMC have the ability to induce chronic arthropathy with fibroblast proliferation and neovas cularization in the SCID mouse.