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Detection of T cells responsive to a vascular growth factor in rheumatoid arthritis
V M Byrd1, X M Zhao, G G Miller
1Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn. 37232, USA.
Abstract:
The primary lesion in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a destructive synovitis characterized by proliferation of endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and vascular smooth muscle cells, and with perivascular lymphocyte aggregates. A nonhematopoietic growth factor, acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), may induce many of the biological features found in rheumatoid synovium, including T cell activation. To determine if aFGF-responsive T cells are increased in RA, we developed an assay to measure the frequency of peripheral blood T cells that are costimulated by aFGF. The data indicate that the frequency of aFGF-responsive T cells is increased in RA and may change with disease activity and treatment.