It has been suggested that the differences in charge and size that accompany this substitution may exclude the acceptance of the putative arthritogenic peptide. After a short trip to a flute concert at Sanssouci, the imperial castle of Frederick the Great, the afternoon session was devoted to the function of HLA-B27. Maxime Breban from Paris presented an update on the HLA-B27 transgenic rat model. T cells play an important role in the development of SpA, and the therapeutic potential of blockade of HLA-B27 binding peptide has been demonstrated in these rats. Assessment of their caecal microflora shows a rise in numbers of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species in the gut that corresponds to the presence and severity of gut inflammation.
T cells are essential for disease development.
REA Since cytokines are the major parameters of T-cell effector function, techniques have been developed that allow the investigator to separate cells according to the specific cytokines they secrete. Thus, functional distinct populations of T helper cells can be defined based on the expression of cytokines, according to Andreas Radbruch from Berlin. This is similar to the situation in human ReA in which T-cell responses are induced by the triggering microbe, and the microbial antigens reach the joints, probably via macrophages. The severity and persistence of the resulting arthritis are determined by genetic factors. It is not clear whether this is an important mechanism in human arthritis.