Document 0422
 DOCN  M9440422
 TI    Association of methotrexate treatment with a decrease of double negative
       (CD4-CD8-) and gamma/delta T cell levels in patients with juvenile
       rheumatoid arthritis.
 DT    9404
 AU    Massa M; de Benedetti F; Robbioni P; Ramenghi B; Albani S; Martini A;
       Clinica Pediatrica, Universita di Pavia, I.R.C.C.S., Policlinico; S.
       Matteo, Italy.
 SO    J Rheumatol. 1993 Nov;20(11):1944-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94141801
 AB    OBJECTIVE. It has been suggested that double negative (CD4-CD8-) (DN)
       and gamma/delta T cells may be involved in some autoimmune diseases. We
       investigated peripheral blood DN and gamma/delta T cell levels in
       patients with active juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). METHODS. DN
       and gamma/delta T cell levels were measured in 42 patients with active
       JRA and in 10 healthy controls comparable for age by an
       immunofluorescence double staining procedure. RESULTS. All 3 JRA onset
       types had DN and gamma/delta T cell levels not significantly different
       from those of controls, although a wide scattering of data was present.
       No correlation was found between DN or gamma/delta T cell levels and
       erythrocyte sedimentation rate values or the number of active joints.
       When patients were divided according to treatment, we found that DN and
       gamma/delta T cell levels were significantly lower (p = 0.001, p = 0.02,
       respectively) in patients receiving methotrexate (MTX) than in patients
       not receiving MTX. The association of MTX treatment with a decrease in
       DN and gamma/delta T cell levels was also confirmed in a followup study
       of individual patients. Among patients not receiving MTX, patients with
       systemic JRA presented DN T cell levels significantly higher than those
       of controls. In 5 patients with pauciarticular JRA DN and gamma/delta T
       cell levels were higher in synovial fluid than in the peripheral blood.
       CONCLUSIONS. We found an increase in peripheral blood DN T cell levels
       in systemic JRA; treatment with MTX appears to be associated with a
       decrease in DN and gamma/delta T cell levels.
 DE    Adolescence  Antigens, CD4/*ANALYSIS  Antigens, CD8/*ANALYSIS
       Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*DRUG THERAPY/*IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY  Blood
       Sedimentation  Cells, Cultured  Child  Child, Preschool  CD4-CD8 Ratio
       Female  Fluorescent Antibody Technique  Human  Male
       Methotrexate/*THERAPEUTIC USE  Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell,
       gamma-delta/*ANALYSIS  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
       T-Lymphocytes/*CHEMISTRY/PATHOLOGY/ULTRASTRUCTURE  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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