<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Berthelot, Jean-Marie</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Saulquin, Xavier</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Coste-Burel, Marianne</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Peyrat, Marie A</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Echasserieau, Klara</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Bonneville, Marc</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Houssaint, Elisabeth</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Search for correlation of CD8 T cell response to Epstein-Barr virus with clinical status in rheumatoid arthritis: a 15 month followup pilot study.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The Journal of Rheumatology</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2003</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2003-08-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><pages><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1673-1679</style></pages><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">30</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">8</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">OBJECTIVE: To assess in a longitudinal 15 month followup study the CD8 T cell response to immunodominant Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens of 17 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); and to seek an association between these responses and both clinical activity/severity of RA and a qualitative PCR for EBV in peripheral blood. METHODS: At each patient's visit every 3 months: (1) RA activity was assessed for Disease Activity Score (DAS-28); (2) a qualitative PCR for EBV was performed; (3) CD8 T cell response to EBV epitopes was screened in peripheral blood, using an autopresentation assay of 13 EBV peptides previously identified as immunodominant targets in RA synovia. Activation of anti-EBV CD8 T cells was evaluated by measuring the release of tumor necrosis factor-a. RESULTS: The semiquantitative CD8 T cell response to EBV roughly paralleled RA clinical activity in only 4/17 patients. No clear association could be found between positive PCR for EBV (performed at least once in 10/17 patients) and RA activity/severity or fatigue. Reactivity was not qualitatively broader in samples where PCR for EBV proved positive, and most often focused on one or 2 EBV antigens. However, these antigens differed between patients, as did the magnitude of CD8 T cell response to immunodominant antigens at different timepoints for the same patient. CONCLUSION: The CD8 T cell response to EBV paralleled clinical activity in only 4/17 patients. Our pilot study does not support the hypothesis that this CD8 response contributes to RA activity/flares, although the quantitative variations in the pattern of this reactivity over time confirmed that control of EBV manifestations was difficult in most patients with RA.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>