Ann Rheum Dis 1998;57:275-280 ( May )

Extended reports

Mutual antagonism of rheumatoid arthritis and hay fever; a role for type 1/type 2 T cell balance Catharina M Verhoef,^a Joel A G van Roon,^a Marieke E Vianen,^a Carla A F M Bruijnzeel-Koomen,^b Floris P J G Lafeber,^a Johannes W J Bijlsma^a

^a Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Utrecht, the Netherlands, ^b Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital Utrecht, the Netherlands

Correspondence to: Dr C M Verhoef, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, (F02.127), University Hospital Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Accepted for publication 17 March 1998

OBJECTIVESThe balance between interferon (IFN) and interleukin 4 (IL4) producing T cells (T1 and T2 cells) seems to be of importance in many (auto)immune disorders. In general, T1 cell activity is important in cellular immunity whereas T2 cell activity plays a part in humoral responses. T1 cell activity predominates in joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) whereas T2 cell activity is characteristic of atopic syndromes. This study investigated whether the prevalence of hay fever in RA is low and if severity of RA (T1 cell activity) can be influenced by the concomitant occurrence of a T2 cell mediated disease (hay fever).
METHODSThe prevalence of hay fever was assessed in 643 consecutive (RA and non-RA) patients seen in our outpatient clinic and confirmed by skin test and specific IgE. Of this group the 12 RA patients with hay fever were compared with RA patients without hay fever (matched for age, sex, and disease duration).
RESULTSThe prevalence of hay fever in RA patients is lower than in non-RA patients (4% versus 8%), and yields a relative risk for RA patients to develop hay fever of 0.48. RA patients with hay fever showed a lower disease activity (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive proten, Thompson joint score, and radiographic joint damage (Sharp) score) than RA patients without hay fever. The clinical data were related to peripheral blood T1/T2 cell balance: a lower IFN/IL4 ratio was observed for RA patients with hay fever, indicating a comparatively increased T2 cell activity in RA patients with hay fever.
CONCLUSIONThese results argue in favour of the exploration of treatments aimed at regulation of a possible imbalance in T1/T2 cell activity in RA.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis; hay fever; T1 T cell; T2 T cell; interferon ; interleukin 4

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© 1998 by Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
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