Analysis of cellular and membrane extracts of human leukocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients using two-dimensional electrophoresis.

Peripheral blood leukocytes from 30 patients with classic or definite rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 18 healthy controls were separated into lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes and labelled with 35S-methionine. The integral membrane proteins with an amphiphilic nature were separated from hydrophilic proteins by use of the nonionic detergent Triton X-114. Both whole cells and membrane proteins were isotope labelled and separated by high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Polypeptide spots were visualised by autoradiography. No consistent differences were found when leukocytes from RA patients were compared to the controls.