Viruses and lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. I. Studies on cultured rheumatoid lymphocytes.

Abstract

SUMMARY Synovial fluid lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been examined for evidence of a productive infection with retroviruses by electron microscopy, labelling with 3H-uridine, growth in soft agar, and culturing in conditioned medium. No such viruses were detected. In addition, the synovial lymphocytes were activated before fusion and cocultivation with several cell lines which have proved permissive for primate retroviruses. Monitoring these cultures subsequently by reverse transcriptase assay, labelling with 3H-uridine, and membrane immunofluorescence gave no indication that retroviruses were present.

Viruses and lymphocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. II. Examination of lymphocytes and sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis for evidence of retrovirus infection.

“…Less attention has been paid in studies of RA to the possible involvement of retrovirus with cells of the immune and immunoregulatory system. The present study complements that on cultured lymphocytes (Norval et al, 1979) Other evidence on the involvement of retroviruses in 'autoimmune' diseases would be provided by the detection of an increased level of specific antimammalian retrovirus antibodies in the patient's sera. Several laboratories have reported the presence in sera from healthy persons of antibodies that react with proteins of primate retroviruses (Synder et al, 1976;Aoki, et al 1976;Metzgar et al, 1976;Kurth et al, 1977); however, others have failed to find such antibodies (Charman et al, 1975;Prochownik and Kirstein, 1976;Stephenson and Aaronson, 1976).…”

“…Less attention has been paid in studies of RA to the possible involvement of retrovirus with cells of the immune and immunoregulatory system. The present study complements that on cultured lymphocytes (Norval et al, 1979) by attempting to detect retrovirus antigens on rheumatoid synovial fluid lymphocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes of RA patients. A search was also made for the retrovirus antigens in sections of rheumatoid synovial membranes, thus taking into account other immunoregulatory cells within the perivascular region in synovial membranes.…”

“…Background information on the possible role of viruses in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is reviewed briefly in the accompanying paper (Norval et al, 1979) and by Marmion (in press). Their role in other autoimmune disease has been considered by Denman (1975) and by various authors in Tatal (1978).…”