To explore the differential gene expression of peripheral CD4+ among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of cold or heat syndrome type with or without rheumatoid factor (RF).
Differential gene expression of peripheral CD4+ lymphocytes purified from fasting venous blood of RA patients and healthy subjects was studied using gene chip technique.
There were 55 differential genes between RA patients with and without RF, mainly involving those related with immune response and signal transduction. In patients with RF, 71 differential genes, mainly related with functional metabolism and immune response, and in those without RF, 70 related with functional metabolism were found between patients of cold and heat syndrome type respectively, all of them were not repetitive with the above-mentioned 55, and only 2 were found repetitive between the 70 and the 71 differential genes, mainly involving functional metabolism.
The differential genes between RA patients with or without RF are different with those between patients of heat and cold syndrome type, suggesting the TCM syndrome classification has its own basis of gene expression profile.