Research article

The expansion of CD4⁺CD28^- T cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Andrzej Pawlik¹ , Lidia Ostanek², Iwona Brzosko², Marek Brzosko², Marek Masiuk³, Boguslaw Machalinski³ and Barbara Gawronska-Szklarz¹

¹Department of Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Pomeranian University of Medicine, Szczecin, Poland

²Department of Rheumatology, Pomeranian University of Medicine, Szczecin, Poland

³Department of Pathology, Pomeranian University of Medicine, Szczecin, Poland

author email corresponding author email

Arthritis Res Ther 2003, 5:R210-R213doi:10.1186/ar766

Published:	14 May 2003

Abstract

Clonal expansion of CD4⁺CD28^- T cells is a characteristic finding in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Expanded CD4⁺ clonotypes are present in the peripheral blood, infiltrate into the joints, and persist for years. CD4⁺CD28^- T cells are oligoclonal lymphocytes that are rare in healthy individuals but are found in high percentages in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. The size of the peripheral blood CD4⁺CD28^- T-cell compartment was determined in 42 patients with RA and 24 healthy subjects by two-color FACS analysis. The frequency of CD4⁺CD28^- T cells was significantly higher in RA patients than in healthy subjects. Additionally, the number of these cells was significantly higher in patients with extra-articular manifestations and advanced joint destruction than in patients with limited joint manifestations. The results suggest that the frequency of CD4⁺CD28^- T cells may be a marker correlating with extra-articular manifestations and joint involvement.