The immunoregulation of rheumatoid factor by the CD8 T lymphocyte subset in rheumatoid arthritis
Al-Azem, I.; Fernandez-Madrid, F.; Long, P.M.; Wooley, P.H.
Journal of Rheumatology 19(9): 1337-1341
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0315-162X PMID: 1279167 Document Number: 388876
Flow cytometric analysis on 81 peripheral blood samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) showed that levels of serum IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) were associated with the CD8+ cell level. A significant elevation of natural killer (CD56) cell levels was also observed in RA peripheral blood. Using in vitro antibody production techniques, CD8+ cells from patients with RA appeared to act as suppressors of RF production. Paired blood and synovial fluid samples from 9 patients with RA indicated a significant increase in SF CD8+ cells and DR+ T cells over the corresponding peripheral blood levels. The data suggest that CD8+ cells in RA may respond to immunological abnormalities occurring during the course of the disease.