The immunoregulation of rheumatoid factor by the CD8 T lymphocyte subset in rheumatoid arthritis.

al-Azem, I; Fernandez-Madrid, F; Long, P M; Wooley, P H · J Rheumatol · 1992

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Flow cytometric analysis on 81 peripheral blood samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) showed that levels of serum IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) were associated with the CD8+ cell level. A significant elevation of natural killer (CD56) cell levels was also observed in RA peripheral blood. Using in vitro antibody production techniques, CD8+ cells from patients with RA appeared to act as suppressors of RF production. Paired blood and synovial fluid samples from 9 patients with RA indicated a significant increase in SF CD8+ cells and DR+ T cells over the corresponding peripheral blood levels. The data suggest that CD8+ cells in RA may respond to immunological abnormalities occurring during the course of the disease.

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