Abstract
Lymphopenia is a recognized but poorly studied feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We set out to establish the prevalence and significance of lymphopenia in RA. A group of 66 RA patients was studied for one year. During this time 10 (15%) had persistent lymphopenia (lymphocyte count less than 1.00 X 10(9)/l) without evidence of Felty's syndrome. A separate study of lymphocyte subsets in 13 lymphopenic RA patients showed marked reduction in T-cell numbers with normal circulating B-cell numbers. The numbers of CD4 and CD8 positive T-cells were equally depressed. Lymphopenia may indicate more severe disease. It was not influenced by changes in disease activity or therapy.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Carter S. D., Bacon P. A., Hall N. D. Characterisation of activated lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1981 Jun;40(3):293–298. doi: 10.1136/ard.40.3.293. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Duke O., Panayi G. S., Janossy G., Poulter L. W. An immunohistological analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations and their microenvironment in the synovial membranes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis using monoclonal antibodies. Clin Exp Immunol. 1982 Jul;49(1):22–30. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Duke O., Panayi G. S., Janossy G., Poulter L. W., Tidman N. Analysis of T cell subsets in the peripheral blood and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis by means of monoclonal antibodies. Ann Rheum Dis. 1983 Aug;42(4):357–361. doi: 10.1136/ard.42.4.357. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fox R. I., Fong S., Sabharwal N., Carstens S. A., Kung P. C., Vaughan J. H. Synovial fluid lymphocytes differ from peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Immunol. 1982 Jan;128(1):351–354. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hanly J. G., Bresnihan B. Reduction of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients receiving gold therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1985 May;44(5):299–301. doi: 10.1136/ard.44.5.299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ishigami M., Chuck A. J., Swannell A. J., Doherty M., Gordon K. Failure to show a fall in peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients receiving gold or penicillamine for rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1987 Mar;46(3):262–263. doi: 10.1136/ard.46.3.262. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Salmon M., Bacon P. A., Johnson G. D., Walker L., Walton K. W. The use of cytocentrifuge preparations for the demonstration of T cell surface antigens. J Immunol Methods. 1984 Feb 10;66(2):327–330. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(84)90345-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Salmon M., Bacon P. A., Symmons D. P., Blann A. D. Transferrin receptor bearing cells in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Immunol. 1985 Nov;62(2):346–352. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Symmons D. P., Salmon M., Farr M., Bacon P. A. Sulfasalazine treatment and lymphocyte function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1988 Apr;15(4):575–579. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zvaifler N. J. The immunopathology of joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Adv Immunol. 1973;16(0):265–336. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60299-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]