• F De Keyser, D Elewaut, J P Overmeer-Graus, P Van den Broek, A W Rijnders, and E M Veys.
• Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Ghent, Belgium.
• J Rheumatol. 1997 Sep 1; 24 (9): 1685-9.

ObjectiveTo study at a molecular level the clonality of interleukin 2 (IL-2) expanded T cell lines derived from rheumatoid nodules. Such cell lines were reported in earlier studies with flow cytometry and antiidiotypic monoclonal antibodies (MAb) to be obligoclonal.MethodsT cell lines were derived from rheumatoid nodules in 2 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and expanded in medium containing IL-2. Clonality was assessed by flow cytometry and T cell receptor (TCR) idiotype specific Mab and by polymerase chain reaction with primers for V alpha and V beta gene families. Sequence analysis was performed in selected cell lines.ResultsIn one patient, one cell line was identified with marked overexpression of V alpha 2 cells. Eleven V alpha 2 CDR3 sequences were derived from this cell line: 8 of these clones had an identical CDR3 sequence and one other clone showed a related sequence. Five cell lines derived from a second patient displayed a marked clonal bias to V beta 8 cells. One cell line with strong V beta 8 expression was chosen for further sequence analysis. Twelve V beta 8 sequences were obtained; 11 showed identical CDR3 sequences.ConclusionMolecular analysis of TCR rearrangements in IL-2 expanded T cell lines from rheumatoid nodules strongly suggests that in situ T cell activation is related to classical antigen induced immune activation.

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