Search for viruses in rheumatoid macrophage-rich synovial cell populations.

Abstract

SUMMARY The adherent cells remaining after short-term culture of synovial fluid and synovial membrane cells from rheumatoid and non-rheumatoid patients were examined for the presence of a productive virus infection and for various viral antigens. Labelling was carried out with 3H-thymidine and 3H-uridine followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation of the culture supernatant. Only in 1 case was there incorporation of 3H-uridine into material of density 1 .21 g/cm3. Viral antigens were tested for by indirect immunofluorescence with antisera to rubella virus, the retroviruses RD-1 14 and simian sarcoma associated virus, early adenovirus type 2 antigens, late adenovirus type 2 antigens, SV-40 T antigen, and in 1 case measles virus. No cell showed immunofluorescence with any antiserum except the early adenovirus type 2 antiserum, which stained the cytoplasm of about half the synovial cell cultures, some from rheumatoid and some from non-rheumatoid patients.

Detection of multiple viral DNA species in synovial tissue and fluid of patients with early arthritis

“…Retroviruses have been observed in ST biopsy specimens from patients with RA, but also in non-inflammatory arthropathy and normal controls 7-8. Searches for other viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus,9-11 rubella virus,12 mumps virus,12 measles virus,12 cytomegalovirus,13 14 and adenovirus15 16 did not clearly support a specific role in the pathogenesis of RA either.…”