Skip Navigation


Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on July 16, 2003
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
43/2/186    most recent
keg449v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (7)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Masilamani, M.
Right arrow Articles by Illges, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Masilamani, M.
Right arrow Articles by Illges, H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Rheumatology 2004; 43: 186-190
© British Society for Rheumatology 2003; all rights reserved

Basic Science

Decreased levels of serum soluble complement receptor-II (CR2/CD21) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

M. Masilamani1, J. von Kempis2 and H. Illges1,3

1Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Immunology, University of Konstanz, M662, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany, 2Kantonsspital St Gallen, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, CH-9007 St Gallen and 3Biotechnology Institute Thurgau, Konstanzerstrasse 19, 8274 Tägerwilen, Switzerland.

Correspondence to: H. Illges. E-mail: harald.illges{at}uni-konstanz.de

Objective. The soluble cluster of differentiation 21 (sCD21) represents the extracellular portion of the CD21 glycoprotein and is released by shedding from cell surfaces into plasma. Soluble CD21 binds complement fragments and activates monocytes through binding to membrane CD23. Elevated levels of sCD21 are found during Epstein–Barr virus EBV infections, B-cell lymphoma and other lymphoblastoid tumours. The present study was undertaken to investigate levels of sCD21 in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods. A specific enzyme-linked immunoassay was developed using sCD21, biochemically purified to homogeneity from human plasma as a standard for the determination of sCD21 concentration in patient sera. Peripheral blood B and T lymphocytes were isolated from healthy donors and rheumatoid arthritis patients and cultured, and supernatants were analysed for CD21 shedding.

Results. The normal values of serum sCD21 in healthy individuals between 20 and 40 yr of age ranged from 100 to 477 ng/ml (median 292 ng/ml), decreasing with age but not differing with gender. In rheumatoid arthritis patients, sCD21 levels ranged from 50 to 300 ng/ml (median 182 ng/ml), did not differ with age and were independent of rheumatoid factor.

Conclusions. In contrast to healthy donors, patients with rheumatoid arthritis have significantly lower sCD21 levels (P < 0.0001), independently of the age of the patients. Sorted B cells from rheumatoid arthritis patients released amounts of CD21 comparable with those of normal controls. Possible causes and consequences of the findings are discussed.

KEY WORDS: Rheumatoid arthritis, CD21, Complement, Shedding, Soluble CD21


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.