T-CELL RECEPTOR V-GENE USAGE IN SYNOVIAL-FLUID LYMPHOCYTES OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ARTHRITIS

In this study we analyzed the usage frequencies of the TCR V-gene segments by alphabeta+ T cells present in synovial fluid of 17 patients with chronic arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis. The results of this study, obtained from semiquantitative PCR analyses, showed that in all patients most of the TCR Valpha- and Vbeta-gene segments could be detected both in fresh PBMCs and in fresh SFMCs. The relative frequencies of use of these V-region genes were variable between the different patients. Although there was some skewing of increased usage frequencies of particular TCR Valpha and Vbeta genes among SFMC-derived TCPs when compared with PBMCs, we could not correlate such increased TCR V-gene usage with the inflammation in the joints as a disease-specific marker.