Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

It is now well established that hypogalactosylation of IgG is a molecular marker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanism for the alteration of the galactosylation status has not been resolved. We compared the galactosyltransferase activities of anti-CD19 selected peripheral B lymphocytes of healthy subjects and patients with RA using ovalbumin as the acceptor substrate. In addition, certain samples of lymphocytes were assayed after Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformation and, also, the ability of bovine milk galactosyltransferase to galactosylate IgG in vitro was examined. Our results indicate that there is a significant difference between the galactosyltransferase activities of rheumatoid and control peripheral B lymphocytes and that EBV transformation causes a variable increase (15-1225%) in galactosyltransferase activity, over that present in the peripheral B lymphocytes from which the transformed cells were derived. Also the ubiquitous "lactose synthetase" type galactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.38) will galactosylate normal native IgG at concentrations of 500 mU/ml in vitro. We conclude that there is no evidence from our study for an IgG specific galactosyltransferase and that galactosyltransferase is an enzyme that is aberrantly modulated in peripheral B lymphocytes and EBV transformed B lymphoblasts derived from patients with RA.

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Rheumatol

Publication Date

08/1993

Volume

20

Pages

1282 - 1287

Keywords

Adult, Aged, Arthritis, Rheumatoid, B-Lymphocytes, Cell Transformation, Viral, Female, Galactose, Galactosyltransferases, Herpesvirus 4, Human, Humans, Immunoglobulin G, Male, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Stem Cells