The Journal of the Korean Rheumatism Association  2002;9(2):106-116

T cell Proliferative Response to Type II collagen is related to Inflammatory Process and Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Jin Jung CHOI 1 ; Wan Uk KIM ; Mi La CHO ; Myeung Su LEE ; Young Il SEO ; Do June MIN ; Sung Hwan PARK ; Chul Soo CHO ; Ho Youn KIM

Affiliations

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Keywords

Rheumatoid arthritis; type II collagen; T cells; inflammatory activity; radiographic progressio

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of T cell responses to type II collagen (CII) in disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: T cell proliferative responses to bovine CII by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from early RA patients (duration <5 years) were assayed by mixed lymphocyte culture. Clinical and laboratory variables including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C reactive protein (CRP) were examined at the time of sampling. Radiographic damage on hand X-rays was evaluated by the method of Steinbrocker and Sharp. RESULTS: In a cross-sectional study, patients (n=22) with positive T cell responses (stimulation index: SI>or =2) had higher levels of CRP and ESR than those (n=21) not showing T cell responses. The number of damaged joints (by Steinbrocker's method) and damaged joint scores (by Sharp's method) were significantly higher in patients with positive T cell responses than in those without. The joint space narrowing scores correlated well with T cell responsiveness to CII. Patients (n=15) with both positive T cell responses and RA-susceptible allotypes, HLA-DR1 or DR4, had greater damaged joint scores than the rest of patients (n=24). CONCLUSION: T cell proliferative responses to CII are associated with inflammatory activity and radiographic severity in RA. Our data suggest that CII reactive T cells may play an important role in the pathogenic process of joint damage.