CD5+ B lymphocytes and T-cell subsets in a case of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Recent research has demonstrated that CD5+ B lymphocytes have an important role in autoimmune and rheumatic diseases. In a case of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), we observed the behavior of these cells and other subpopulations of T lymphocytes of peripheral blood before and after therapy with thymopentin (TP5). All the lymphocyte subpopulations returned to normal range, except the CD5+ B cells, where the percentage remained abnormally high (60%). These data suggest that CD5+ B cells can be a useful monitoring index and confirm their important role in the pathogenesis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.