Analysis of cellular and membrane extracts of human leukocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients using...

Peripheral blood leukocytes from 30 patients with classic or definite rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 18 healthy controls were separated into lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes and labelled with 35S-methionine. The integral membrane proteins with an amphiphilic nature were separated from hydrophilic proteins by use of the nonionic detergent Triton X-114. Both whole cells and membrane proteins were isotope labelled and separated by high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Polypeptide spots were visualised by autoradiography. No consistent differences were found when leukocytes from RA patients were compared to the controls.