The V delta gene usage by freshly isolated T lymphocytes from synovial fluids in rheumatoid synovitis: a preliminary report.

Taking advantage of the polymerase chain reaction we have studied the usage of variable delta-(V delta) region genes in freshly isolated synovial fluid T cells from patients with rheumatoid synovitis. Amplified mRNA from one patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was cloned into an SmaI-cleaved pUC19 vector and colonies were screened with probes for three of the known human variable delta-gene families (V delta 1, V delta 2, V delta 3). Of 10 clones, seven used V delta 1, two V delta 2 and one V delta 3. This pattern of distribution is different from that of normal peripheral blood, where approximately 60% of T gamma delta cells are reported to use the V delta 2 gene. Furthermore, Northern blot hybridization analyses of mononuclear cells from two additional synovial fluids derived from another patient with RA and one with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) also showed significant hybridization only with V delta 1. In summary, these preliminary results suggest a usage of V delta gene families in T gamma delta lymphocytes in synovial fluid of rheumatoid patients different to that found in normal peripheral blood.