IgVH genes from different anatomical regions, with different
histopathological patterns, of a rheumatoid arthritis patient suggest cyclic
re-entry of mature synovial B-cells in the hypermutation process
Description
In the present study 55 IgVH genes amplified from three different
anatomical regions of a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient were analyzed, adding
further information on synovial B-cell maturation and recirculation in RA. This
analysis demonstrated somatically mutated IgVh genes in all regions studied,
with amino acid deletions and mixed IgVh molecules, suggesting the existence of
a novel pathway to generate (auto) antibody specificities. Comparison of amino
acid sequences of amplified genes that belong to the VH1 family (with
predominantly the same germline counterpart) exhibited strong homology,
indicating an apparently conserved mutational pattern. This suggests that the
number of antigens that activate B cells in different locations is restricted.
The most striking result was the finding of clonally related sequences in
different anatomical regions, indicating a recirculation of activated B cells
between the different affected joints.
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