Analyzes of accumulating T cell clonotypes in different joint lesions of rheumatoid arthritis

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we have established a novel method to analyze T cell clonality using a combination of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of T cell receptor beta chain transcripts and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). We then obtained synovial samples from patients during a therapeutic synovectomy for a T cell clonality analysis. An analysis of these samples revealed that synovial fluid samples and synovial tissue samples contained even more distinct accumulations of T cell clones. This indicates that there are antigen specific T cell reactions in the lesion of RA.We then compared the T cell clonalities in the different areas within the same joint. It was found that 60 to 95% of the accumulating T cell clones identifiedin one part of a joint also existed in another part of the same joint. The DNA sequencing of representative bands also confirmed this finding. Therefoer, the immunereactions of the RA lesions would be directed to limited common anrigens. Theidentities of the T cell clonalities in the lesions from different joints were also obseved at high frequencies, suggesting that pathogenicimmunereactions are commonamong the multiple joints of a RA patient.