ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To determine the molecular structure of type II collagen-specific T-cell receptors associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We generated CII-specific T-cell lines of 8 RA patient s by prolonged in vitro culture with bovine CII (bCII) and the immunogenic peptide (256-270) of human CII. The proliferation response towards CII stimulation was measured from the uptake of 3 H-thymidine. Changes in the secretion of Th 1 and Th2 cytokines in the culture supernatent were measured by ELISA. The TCR clonotypes of these T-cells were examined by RT-PCR/ SSCP analyses of all 22 V beta chains. RESULTS: T-cells from patients' tissue exhibited strong proliferation index upon CII stimulation, which was maintained up to 6 months in the culture. The secretion of INF-gamma from these T-cells increased along with the duration of culture time, while the amount of IL-4 production did not show significant changes. The SSCP band patterns of patients' T-cells appear as discrete bands unlike the smeary streak produced from normal samples. Some SSCP bands, each representing selected expansion of a TCR containing certain subtype of V beta peptides, appeared to be identical in more than one patients. Among these, the expansion of SSCP band representing the V beta 14 CDR3 region persisted after switching the antigen to the immunogenic human peptide (256-270). CONCLUSION: CII-reactive T-cells expressing distinct CDR3 motifs are selectively expanded in the peripheral blood and synovial fluid of RA patients, and their persistent proliferation upon CII stimulation, as well as the production Th 1-type cytokines, may play pivotal roles in RA pathogenesis.
Subject(s)
Humans , Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Cytokines , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Interleukin-4 , Molecular Structure , Peptides , Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell , Synovial Fluid , T-LymphocytesABSTRACT
The uterine cervix is an uncommon site of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Although the cytologic findings of NHLs are well known, most cervicovaginal smear of uterine NHLs give lower diagnostic yield than common epithelial malignancy because abnormal cells do not appear in the sample in the absence of surface ulceration. Herein, we describe cytologic findings of a case of uterine cervical NHL which was initially diagnosed by cervicovaginal smear. The tumor cells were relatively uniform, isolated, large-sized with scanty cytoplasm and round or indented nuclei. The nuclei had stippled chromatin and small nucleoli. Histologically and immunohistochemically the tumor was proven to be large cell lymphoma of T-cell lineage.
Subject(s)
Female , Cervix Uteri , Chromatin , Cytoplasm , Lymphoma , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin , T-Lymphocytes , UlcerABSTRACT
We present a case of mycosis fungoides of an 52-year-old woman who showed multiple pruritic erythematous papules, plaques with ulcers on the trunk, extremities and face. Her skin biopsy specimens were studied irnmunohistochemically with, monoclonal antibodies against T cells(80%, Leu-4, OKT11), T-cell subsets (60% Leu-3a, OKT4a, 40% OKT8) and Langerhans cell(OKT6). We think that this case should be considered in the differential diagnosis of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. The proliferating cells were negative for anti-Tac.