Abstract
Transforming growth factor (TGF) -β1is a pluripotent cytokine exerting differential effects on distinct components of the immune responses. The present report demonstrates that TGF-β1 modulate the immune responses of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . The plasma from peripheral blood and bone marrow in affected joints by RA, and synovial fluid (SF) contained the detectable levels of TGF-β, and higher levels of TGF-β was observed in bone marrow from RA patients with anemia or active synovitis. In synovial fluids RA patients had higher levels of TGF-β, comparing with osteoarthritis (OA) patients. T and B cells in SF from RA patients had lower mitogenic (PHA, SAC) responses. Exogenous TGF-β prominently suppressed the mitogenic responses of T and B cells. These lower responses were recoverd by adding neutralizing antibodies (polyclonal heterogenous antibodies) . Spontaneous or SAC-stimulated IgM production of B cells in SF from RA were modulated by exogenous TGF-β and its neutralizing antibodies. Adherent cells in SF from RA actively produced IL-1β with or without the stimulation of LPS. However, TGF-β and its neutralizing antibodies never effect the production of IL-1β from adherent cells.
