Abstract
Recently we readily detected CD5 + B cells in the peripheral blood of normal adults using sensitive two-color fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis. The number of CD5+ B cells was found to be markedly increased in the blood of patients with RA in comparision with healthy controls. Research was then done on the relationship between HLA and the level of circulatin CD5+ B cells, and clinical parameters. Although the frequency of HLA-DR4 was increase in RA patients, HLA didn't show a statistically significant relationship with the CD5 + B cell/total B cell ratio or clinical parameters. We have already reported in this journal that an increase in CD5 + B cell subpopulation appeared in patients with rheumatoid factor and who ha a relatively short duration of disease. The current study indicates that the level of circulatin CD5 + B cells is more influenced by RA activity than by genetic background.
