Analysis of VH gene rearrangements from synovial B cells of patients with rheumatoid arthritis reveals infiltration of the synovial membrane by memory B cells. 1997

A Gause, and K Gundlach, and G Carbon, and H Daus, and L Trümper, and M Pfreundschuh
Internal Medicine I, Saarland Medical School, Homburg/Saar, Germany.

The VH gene (Variable gene segments of the heavy chain locus) repertoire can be investigated by DNA analysis of rearranged immunoglobulin VH genes, which also allows for an indirect estimation of antibody selection by analysis of somatic mutations. Using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) it is also possible to analyse these genes in small numbers of cells or even single cells. This approach was chosen to investigate germinal centre like lymphocyte follicles in the synovial membranes of two patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in order to analyse the local humoral immune response in RA. Individual B-cell aggregates of synovial membrane of two patients with RA were isolated by micromanipulation from microscopic slides. VH-DH-JH (variable, diversity, and joining segments of the heavy chain locus) rearrangements in all possible VH-JH combinations were amplified from these B cell foci, cloned and subjected to sequence analysis. Sequence analysis revealed that most of the rearranged VH genes were somatically mutated with at least 1% (range 1.3-14.9%) somatic mutations and therefore were derived from antigen-selected memory B cells. Intraclonal diversity in one-third of the clones indicated the generation of memory B cells in the synovial membrane and characterized the synovial membrane as lymphatic tissue where secondary immune responses to an as yet unknown antigen take place.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007135 Immunoglobulin Variable Region That region of the immunoglobulin molecule that varies in its amino acid sequence and composition, and comprises the binding site for a specific antigen. It is located at the N-terminus of the Fab fragment of the immunoglobulin. It includes hypervariable regions (COMPLEMENTARITY DETERMINING REGIONS) and framework regions. Variable Region, Ig,Variable Region, Immunoglobulin,Framework Region, Immunoglobulin,Fv Antibody Fragments,Fv Fragments,Ig Framework Region,Ig Variable Region,Immunoglobulin Framework Region,Immunoglobulin Fv Fragments,Immunoglobulin V,Antibody Fragment, Fv,Antibody Fragments, Fv,Fragment, Fv,Fragment, Fv Antibody,Fragment, Immunoglobulin Fv,Fragments, Fv,Fragments, Fv Antibody,Fragments, Immunoglobulin Fv,Framework Region, Ig,Framework Regions, Ig,Framework Regions, Immunoglobulin,Fv Antibody Fragment,Fv Fragment,Fv Fragment, Immunoglobulin,Fv Fragments, Immunoglobulin,Ig Framework Regions,Ig Variable Regions,Immunoglobulin Framework Regions,Immunoglobulin Fv Fragment,Immunoglobulin Variable Regions,Regions, Immunoglobulin Variable,Variable Regions, Ig,Variable Regions, Immunoglobulin
D007156 Immunologic Memory The altered state of immunologic responsiveness resulting from initial contact with antigen, which enables the individual to produce antibodies more rapidly and in greater quantity in response to secondary antigenic stimulus. Immune Memory,Immunological Memory,Memory, Immunologic,Immune Memories,Immunologic Memories,Immunological Memories,Memory, Immune,Memory, Immunological
D008969 Molecular Sequence Data Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories. Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D003001 Cloning, Molecular The insertion of recombinant DNA molecules from prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic sources into a replicating vehicle, such as a plasmid or virus vector, and the introduction of the resultant hybrid molecules into recipient cells without altering the viability of those cells. Molecular Cloning
D004247 DNA A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine). DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004252 DNA Mutational Analysis Biochemical identification of mutational changes in a nucleotide sequence. Mutational Analysis, DNA,Analysis, DNA Mutational,Analyses, DNA Mutational,DNA Mutational Analyses,Mutational Analyses, DNA
D005260 Female Females
D005784 Gene Amplification A selective increase in the number of copies of a gene coding for a specific protein without a proportional increase in other genes. It occurs naturally via the excision of a copy of the repeating sequence from the chromosome and its extrachromosomal replication in a plasmid, or via the production of an RNA transcript of the entire repeating sequence of ribosomal RNA followed by the reverse transcription of the molecule to produce an additional copy of the original DNA sequence. Laboratory techniques have been introduced for inducing disproportional replication by unequal crossing over, uptake of DNA from lysed cells, or generation of extrachromosomal sequences from rolling circle replication. Amplification, Gene
D005803 Genes, Immunoglobulin Genes encoding the different subunits of the IMMUNOGLOBULINS, for example the IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAIN GENES and the IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAIN GENES. The heavy and light immunoglobulin genes are present as gene segments in the germline cells. The completed genes are created when the segments are shuffled and assembled (B-LYMPHOCYTE GENE REARRANGEMENT) during B-LYMPHOCYTE maturation. The gene segments of the human light and heavy chain germline genes are symbolized V (variable), J (joining) and C (constant). The heavy chain germline genes have an additional segment D (diversity). Genes, Ig,Immunoglobulin Genes,Gene, Ig,Gene, Immunoglobulin,Ig Gene,Ig Genes,Immunoglobulin Gene
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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