Abstract
Objective. To determine the impact of type II collagen (CII)-reactive T cells on the production of chemokines in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. T cell proliferative responses to bovine CII were assayed in synovial fluid (SF) mononuclear cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CII-stimulated T cells were cocultured with fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). The expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), and macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α) in the sera, SF, and supernatant of the CII-stimulated T cells and FLS coculture was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results. The levels of IL-8, MCP-1, and MIP-1α in SF were significantly higher than those in paired sera of RA patients. IL-8, MCP-1, and MIP-1α levels in SF were strongly correlated with T cell responses to CII. When FLS were cocultured with CII-stimulated T cells, the production of IL-8, MCP-1, and MIP-1α was significantly increased. This increase correlated well with the T cell proliferative response to CII. Chemokine production by coculture of CII-stimulated T cells and FLS was mediated mainly by direct cell-cell contact through CD40 ligand-CD40 engagement. Conclusion. Our data indicate that the presence of CII-reactive T cells in RA joints can increase the production of chemokines such as IL-8, MCP-1, and MIP-1α through interaction with FLS. This chemokine production is mediated by cell-cell contact, including CD40 ligand-CD40 engagement. These results suggest hat CII-reactive T cells play a crucial role in the amplification and perpetuation of the inflammatory process in the rheumatoid synovium.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1146-1155 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Arthritis and rheumatism |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2004 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology (medical)