RESUMO
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR-positive synovial fibroblasts are frequently observed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may be implicated in the autoimmune reaction because RA is associated with certain HLA-DRB1* alleles. The question of whether components of the class II antigen presentation pathway and specific DRB alleles are efficiently expressed by synovial fibroblasts is germane to this hypothesis. To address this, cultured fibroblast-like synoviocytes (cFLS) were analyzed for constitutive and interferon (IFN)-gamma-induced expression of specific DRB alleles and class II-associated cochaperones. IFN-gamma induction of invariant chain, DM, and DR molecules was observed in all cFLS, but expression of specific DR allotypes was variable. Interestingly, DM-modulated epitopes on RA-associated DR molecules were either absent or delayed, despite strong DM expression and a paucity of major histocompatibility complex/class II-associated invariant chain peptide complexes. Altered expression of specific peptide-dependent epitopes on RA-associated HLA-DR molecules suggests differences in antigen presentation by cFLS, which may have implications for the immunopathogenesis of RA.
