• deletion of HA-specific Valpha8.3+CD4+CD8- thymocytes indicates deletion of autoreactive CD4+ T cells, although a subset of clonotypic CD4+ T cells evades deletion and accumulates in spleens and lymph nodes
• modest increase in the percentages of CD4+CD8- Foxp3+ thymocytes and of CD4+Foxp3+ splenocytes, however, the numbers of these cells that express the clonotypic TS1(SW) TCR are reduced, reflecting severe deletion of clonotype-expressing thymocytes
• however, no differences between males and females is seen in the percentages of CD4+ T cells, of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells, of CD4+IL-17+ cells, or of B cells in the joint-draining lymph nodesincrease in frequency of IL-17-secreting CD4+ T cells in the joint-draining lymph nodes and spleens of arthritic mice
• 5-6 week old mice treated with an anti-CD20 mAb to eliminate B cells exhibit reduced spleen and joint-draining lymph node cellularities and increased percentages of CD4+ T cells
• treatment with an anti-CD20 mAb results in lower frequencies of clonotypic cytokine-producing T cells in mice that do not develop arthritis