Rheumatoid Arthritis T-lymphocytes “Immature” Phenotype and Attempt of its Correction in Co-culture with Human Thymic Epithelial Cells

We found that the level of CD3+4+8+T-cells was normal in peripheral blood of RA patients. Otherwise an amount of CD3+4-8-, CD3-4+ and CD3-8+ subpopulations was increased in 10 patients and level of CD10+ cells (24%) in 2. We found also significant imbalance of CD3+4+8- and CD3+4-8+ mature T-cells in all RA patients The level of CD3+4+ 5-40-fold exceeded the level of CD3+8+. The 24-hour incubation of RA patient’s lymphocytes with human TEC culture and TEC supernatant could influence upon T-cell receptor phenotype. We found tendency to increase of CD3 after the incubation in all patients. Otherwise the dynamic of CD4 and CD8 was different. In 4 cases we saw the moderate decrease of CD4 expression and increase of CD8. But in 9 cases the imbalance of CD3+4+ and CD3+8+ subpopulations increased after cultivation due to progressive CD8 expression diminution. The above mentioned facts allowed us to suppose the heterogeneity of T-cell selection disturbances in RA