Beta 2-adrenergic receptors on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with rheumatic diseases

In order to investigate the influence of the autonomic nervous system on the immune response in rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we determined the number and the dissociation constants of beta 2-adrenergic receptors (beta 2R) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with RA characterized by either low or high disease activity, patients with SLE, and healthy age-matched controls by means of a radioligand binding assay with [125I]iodocyanopindolol. The number of beta 2R was significantly decreased in all three patient groups as compared with the healthy controls. In SLE patients, a significant negative correlation between beta 2R and the anti-ds-DNA antibody titre was observed (r = -0.57, P < 0.01). These data demonstrate the close correlation between the number of beta 2R on PBMC and the extent of disease activity in patients with RA and SLE and suggest an involvement of the autonomic nervous system in the pathogenesis of rheumatic disorders.