Characterization of a human synovial cell antigen: VCAM-1 and inflammatory arthritis.

The contribution of synovial cells to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is only partly understood. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) 1D5 is one of very few mAb ever raised against RA synovial cells in order to study the biology of these cells. Studies on the expression pattern and structural features of the 1D5 Ag suggest that 1D5 recognizes human vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), which is an intercellular adhesion molecule. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 may be involved in a number of crucial intercellular interactions in RA.