IMMUNE NETWORK
- Volume 3 Issue 1
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- Pages.1-7
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- 2003
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- 1598-2629(pISSN)
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- 2092-6685(eISSN)
Role of Immune Response to Type II Collagen in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
류마티스 관절염 병인에서 제2형 콜라겐에 대한 면역반응의 역할
- Jung, Young Ok (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
- Hong, Seung-Jae (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung-Hee University College of Medicine) ;
- Kim, Ho-Youn (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea)
- Published : 2003.03.30
Abstract
Type II collagen (CII), major component of hyaline cartilage, has been considered as an auto-antigen in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the clinical and biological significances with regard to the CII autoimmunity need to be clarified in human RA. The presence of antibodies to CII has been identified in sera, synovial fluid, and cartilage of patients with RA. In our study, the increased titer of IgG anti-CII in sera was well correlated with C-reactive protein, suggesting that this antibody may reflect the inflammatory status of RA. The titer of anti-CII antibodies (anti-CII Abs) tended to be higher in early stages of diseases. In our extending study, among 997 patients with RA, 269 (27.0%) were positive for circulatory IgG antibody to CII, those levels were fluctuated over time. It is hard to assess the significant amount of T cell responses to CII and CII (255~274) in RA. By using a sensitive method of antigen specific mixed lymphocyte culture, we can detect the presence of CII-reactive T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of RA patients. Sixty seven (46.9%) of 143 patients showed positive CII reactive T cell responses to CII or CII (255~274). The frequencies of CII reactive T cells were more prominent in inflamed synovial fluid (SF) than in peripheral blood. These T cells could be clonally expanded after consecutive stimulation of CII with feeding of autologous irradiated antigen presenting cells (APC). Moreover, the production of Th1-related cytokine, such as IFN-
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