Dominant T‐Cell Receptor β‐Chain Gene Rearrangements Indicate Clonal Expansion in the Rheumatoid Joint

Abstract
Miltenburg, A.M.M., van Laar, J.M., Daha, M.R., de Vries, R.R.P., van den Elsen, P.J. & Breedveld, F.C. Dominant T-Cell Receptor β-Chain Gene Rearrangements Indicate Clonal Expansion in the Rheumatoid Joint. Scand. J. Immunol. 31, 121-125, 1990 T-cell receptor (TcR) β and δ gene rearrangements were studied in anti-CD3 expanded T-cell populations cultured from the synovial membrane (SM) (n=5) or synovial fluid (SF) (n=2) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Dominant TcR β-chain gene rearrangements to Cβ1 were demonstrated in all the patients tested and 1-3 expanded clones per patient were found. Clonal rearrangements to Cβ2 were detected in one SM sample (two clones) and one SF sample (one clone). The TcR δ gene was deleted in all the samples tested. We conclude that clonal dominance may be present, either using the Cβ1 or Cβ2 gene segment.

This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit: