Evidence of oligoclonal B cell expansion in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis were examined for evidence of olgioclonal B cell expansion using the computer assisted flow cytometric technique of kappa-lambda (κ-λ) analysis. Eleven of 29 patients with rheumatoid arthritis but only one of 16 with osteoarthritis gave abnormal results (p < 0.025). Abnormal κ-λ determinations did not correlate with age, duration of disease, presence of rheumatoid factor, or other clinical and laboratory parameters. Therapy with oral or intramuscular gold compounds appeared to diminish the incidence of κ-λ abnormality. These findings may indicate defective control of clonal B cell proliferation in rheumatoid arthritis.