T-GAMMA-DELTA-CELLS IN JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - IN THE JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS SYNOVIUM THE T-GAMMA-DELTA-CELLS EXPRESS ACTIVATION ANTIGENS AND ARE PREDOMINANTLY V-DELTA-1+, AND A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THESE PATIENTS HAVE ELEVATED PERCENTAGES OF T-GAMMA-DELTA-CELLS

Using the anti‐TcRγ/δ‐1 monoclonal antibody and flow cytometry, we examined the number of Tγδ cells in paired samples of peripheral blood and synovial fluid or tissue from 24 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). five adult patients with JRA, and 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). No significant difference was found in the synovial compartment Tγδ values compared with the blood in JRA, adult JRA, or RA patients. Nor was any significant difference found in the peripheral blood or synovial compartment Tγδ values in any of the three patient groups compared with the peripheral blood of normal controls. However, seven of the children with JRA had very high Tγδ values in the synovial compartment while none of the normal children had high Tγδ values in the blood (P= 0.02. Fisher's exact test). This may indicate a possible separate JRA patient group with high Tγδ levels in the synovial compartment. In six JRA patients further analysed for Tγδ subpopulations, a significant predominance of Vδ1 + cells was found in the synovial compartment compared with the corresponding peripheral blood samples (P<0 05. Wilcoxon's signed test) and with peripheral blood of child controls (P<0 05, Mann Whitney U test). In these six patients, the Tγδ ‐cell expression of the very early activation antigen CD69 were significantly higher (P<0 05. Wilcoxon's signed test) in the synovial compartment compared with the peripheral blood. Synovial Tγδ cells expressing HLA‐DR and interleukin 2 receptors could also be detected, in contrast to the peripheral blood in which no Tγδ cells expressing these antigens could be found. These data suggest that the synovial Tγδ cells had been activated in vivo. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved