RESEARCH - Collagen-specific T-cell repertoire in blood and synovial fluid varies with disease activity in early RA

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Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008, 10:R135doi:10.1186/ar2553

Research article

Collagen-specific T-cell repertoire in blood and synovial fluid varies

with disease activity in early rheumatoid arthritis

Francesco Ria , Romina Penitente* , De Santis* , Chiara Nicolò ,

e Di Sante , Massimiliano Orsini , Dario Arzani ,

Fattorossi , Alessandra Battaglia and Gian Franco Ferraccioli

Abstract (provisional)

Introduction

Type II collagen is a DR4/DR1 restricted target of self-reactive T

cells sustaining rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the study was to

analyze the T cell receptor repertoire at onset and in different

phases of rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods

We used the CDR3 BV-BJ spectratyping to study the response to human

collagen peptide 261-273 in 12 DR4+ rheumatoid arthritis patients (6

at the onset and 6 during the course of the disease) and in 5 healthy

DR4+ relatives.

Results

Results show that the collagen-specific T cell repertoire is quite

restricted at the onset of disease, involving approximately 10

rearrangements. Within the studied collagen-specific rearrangements,

nearly 75% is shared among patients. While the size of the repertoire

used by controls is comparable to that of patients, it is

characterized by different T cell receptors. Part of the

antigen-specific T cell repertoire is spontaneously enriched in the

synovial fluid. The specific T cell repertoire in the periphery was

modulated by the therapies and decreased with the remission of the

disease. Failure of immunoscope to detect this repertoire was not due

to suppression of collagen-driven proliferation in vitro by CD4+ CD25+

T cells. Clinical relapse of the disease was associated to the

appearance of the original collagen-specific T cells.

Conclusions

The collagen-specific T cell receptor repertoire in peripheral blood

and synovial fluid is restricted to a limited number of rearrangements

in rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of the repertoire is shared

between patients with early rheumatoid arthritis and it is modulated

by therapy.

http://arthritis-research.com/content/10/6/R135/abstract

full article:

http://arthritis-research.com/content/pdf/ar2553.pdf

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