Donald L. Kimpel

Associate Professor, Medicine

Primary Location

PO Box 800412
1715 Essex Road
Charlottesville, VA 22908

Primary Phone Number

434.924.5214

Bio & Overview

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of inflammatory autoimmune arthritis, affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide, and resulting in significant morbidity, shortened lifespan, and functional disability. Our laboratory utilizes genetic and induced animal models if arthritis to study 1) the endothelial expression of adhesion molecules, 2) the humoral factors involved (e.g. cytokines, nitric oxide), and 3) the characteristics of the inflammatory cells with particular attention to the T lymphocyte subsets which control chronic disease. We have a great interest in understanding the factors which modulate the T cells and the endothelial reactivity. To do this we utilize flow cytometry, intravital fluorescent videomicroscopy, PCR and other molecule methods, ELISA, and adoptive transfer of cell populations. We have identified pertinent T cell markers of lymphoid organs, characterized the time course of cytokine synthesis in acute and chronic disease, and identified some of the factors critical for cell adhesion to the vascular endothelium of synovial tissues. These investigations should allow us to identify and test important targets for new therapies of RA.

Academic Information

Department: Medicine

Primary Education

BS,BA, Botany, Chemistry, Miami University of Ohio, 1979
MA, Plant Physiology, Indiana University, 1981
MD, Ohio State University, 1986

Research Interests

Role of Autoantibodies in Autoimmune Disorders; Rheumatoid Arthritis

Selected Publications

Macalester S, Sarebahi S, Kimpel DL, Nutritional Deficiencies linked to nonspecific complaints of joints, skin and nervous system in a University-based Rheumatology Clinic-A retrospective chart review, 2011; Arthritis & Rheumatology. 63(10) S412. PMID:

Fox MG, Stephens T, Jarjour WN, Anderson MW, Kimpel DL, Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging positively impacts the management of some patients with rheumatoid arthritis or suspected RA., 2011; Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases. 18(1) 15-22. PMID: 22157267

Stephens T, Fox MG, Kimpel DL, Jarjour WN, Anderson MW, Synovitis MRI screening: Utility and practicality in patient management, 2010; Skeltal Radiology. 39() 416. PMID:

Satoh M, Chan EK, Sobel ES, Kimpel DL, Yamasaki Y, Narain S, Mansoor R, Reeves WH, Clinical implication of autoantibodies in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases., 2010; Expert review of clinical immunology. 3(5) 721-38. PMID: 20477023

Tubb A, Liokis E, Alford B, Kimpel DL, Catching a break., 2008; The American journal of medicine. 121(5) 395-8. PMID: 18456035

Kimpel DL, Kannan K, Polanowska-Grabowska R, Marcinkiewic M, Gear A, Platelets exhibit enhanced activation and aggregation in rheumatoid arthritis, 2006; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 53(9) S00. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Lowther HL, Jacob A, Murphy T, Lewis J, Prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in an outpatient rheumatology population, and establishment of an appropriate normal range, 2006; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 53(9) S573. PMID:

Hsiao GR, Wolf RE, Kimpel DL, Intravenous immunoglobulin to prevent recurrent thrombosis in the antiphospholipid syndrome., 2006; Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases. 7(5) 336-9. PMID: 17039166

Kimpel D, Introduction to special topics issue on rheumatoid arthritis., 2005; Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology / ISP. 12(3) 149-51. PMID: 16171987

Kimpel DL, Kannan K, Rieger J, Linden J, Inflammatory Arthritis is Suppressed by Adenosine A2A-specific Agonist ATL313, 2005; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 52(9) S00. PMID:

Kannan K, Ortmann RA, Kimpel D, Animal models of rheumatoid arthritis and their relevance to human disease., 2005; Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology / ISP. 12(3) 167-81. PMID: 16171986

Kimpel DL, Kannan K, Dayton T, Berney S, Grisham M, Wolf R, Development of Streptococcal Cell Wall Arthritis is Accompanied by Differential Cytokine Expression in Blood, Spleen, and Lymph Nodes, 2004; Arthritis & Rheumatology. 50(9) S371. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Dayton T, Wolf RE, Streptococcal Cell Wall-Induced Arthritis: 1. Peptidoglycan-polysaccharide induces CD4+ T-lymphocyte activation and proliferation of monocytes and NK cells, 2003; Inflammation. 27(2) 59-70. PMID:

Kimpel D, Li J, van der Heyde H, Wolf RE, Granger DN, Epifluorescent video microscopy demonstrates increased leukocyte adhesion in blood vessels of articular and non-articular tissues of arthritic rats, 2003; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 46(9) S00. PMID:

Kannan K, Kimpel DL, Langston JW, Wolf RE, cAMP increases and inhibitors of PKA reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine production by human PBMC treated with PG-PS, 2003; FASEB Journal. 17(7) C270. PMID:

Kimpel D, Kannan K, Langston JW, Wolf RE, Induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in normal human PBMC by PGPS, 2003; FASEB Journal. 17(7) C270. PMID:

Kimpel D, Dayton T, Fuseler J, Gray L, Kannan K, Wolf RE, Grisham M, Splenectomy attenuates streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis and alters leukocyte activation., 2003; Arthritis and rheumatism. 48(12) 3557-67. PMID: 14674009

Sun G, Chang WL, Li J, Berney SM, Kimpel D, van der Heyde HC, Inhibition of platelet adherence to brain microvasculature protects against severe Plasmodium berghei malaria., 2003; Infection and immunity. 71(11) 6553-61. PMID: 14573677 | PMCID: PMC219602

Kimpel D, Dayton T, Kannan K, Wolf RE, Streptococcal cell wall induced arthritis: leukocyte activation in extra-articular lymphoid tissue., 2003; Inflammation. 27(2) 59-70. PMID: 12797545

Li J, Chang WL, Sun G, Chen HL, Specian RD, Berney SM, Kimpel D, Granger DN, van der Heyde HC, Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 is important for the development of severe experimental malaria but is not required for leukocyte adhesion in the brain., 2003; Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research. 51(3) 128-40. PMID: 12769195

Gruner R, Kimpel DL, Myocardial Infarction during Infliximab Infusion, 2002; Sourhter Regional Meeting of American Federation of Medical Research. () . PMID:

Kimpel D, Dayton T, Kannan K, Wolf RE, Streptococcal cell wall arthritis: kinetics of immune cell activation in inflammatory arthritis., 2002; Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.). 105(3) 351-62. PMID: 12498817

Kimpel DL, Dayton T, Franklin L, Wolf RE, Bauer P, Russel J, van der Heyde H, Granger DN, Intravascular Cell Adhesion Molecule Expression is Increased in Acute Inflammatory Arthritis Induced by Peptidoglycan-Polysaccharide in Mice, 2001; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 44(9) S1115. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Heldmann M, Thumb injury in a bicycle accident, 2001; Journal of Muskuloskeletal Medicine. () 337-338. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Berney SM, Lupus classification revised, 2001; Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. 18(12) 549. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Dayton T, Wolf RE, Bauer P, Russel J, van der Heyde H, Granger DN, Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression are increased in acute inflammatory arthritis induced by peptidoglycan-polysaccharide, 2001; FASEB Journal. 15(5) A683. PMID:

Hsiao G, Wolf R, Kimpel D, Treatment of anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome with IVIg, 2001; Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. 7(5) 336-339. PMID:

Berney SM, Schaan T, Wolf RE, Kimpel DL, van der Heyde H, Atkinson TP, CD5 (OKT1) augments CD3-mediated intracellular signaling events in human T lymphocytes., 2001; Inflammation. 25(4) 215-21. PMID: 11580097

Berney SM, Smith-Dunn D, Dayton T, Schann T, Alexander JS, Wolf R, van der Heyde H, Kimpel DL, Activated T Lymphocytes express Cadherins, Components of Adherens and Tight Junctions, 2000; Arthritis and Rheumatism. 43(9) S165. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Hip pain in a patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis, 1999; Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. () 651-653. PMID:

Berney SM, Schaan T, Blaschuk O, Kevil CG, Dayton T, Kimpel DL, Alexander JS, Activated T lymphocytes express E-cadherin, 1999; FASEB Journal. 13(4) A952. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Dayton TM, Alexander SJ, Berney SM, Wolf RE, Stimulation of rat lymphocytes induces expression of Cadherin, 1999; FASEB Journal. 13(4) A952. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Dayton T, Wolf RE, Peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PGPS) induces lymphocyte activation and increased NK and CD11b/c+ cells, 1998; FASEB Journal. 12(4) A611. PMID:

Alexander JS, Dayton T, Davis C, Hill S, Jackson TH, Blaschuk O, Symonds M, Okayama N, Kevil CG, Laroux FS, Berney SM, Kimpel D, Activated T-lymphocytes express occludin, a component of tight junctions., 1998; Inflammation. 22(6) 573-82. PMID: 9824772

Wang J, Dong X, Stojanov L, Kimpel D, Satoh M, Reeves WH, Human autoantibodies stabilize the quaternary structure of Ku antigen., 1997; Arthritis and rheumatism. 40(7) 1344-53. PMID: 9214436

Kimpel DL, Johnson L, Graham D, Snodgrass HR, Hunt III SW, Expression of a novel isoform of CD45 by human CD4+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood, synovial fluid, and cell lines., 1996; FASEB Journal. 10(6) A1039. PMID:

Satoh M, Kanwar YS, Ajmani AK, Kimpel DL, Stojanov LP, Reeves WH, Induction of a lupus-like autoimmune syndrome in normal mice by intraperitoneal injection of pristane, 1995; Clinical Rheumatology. 14(2) 268. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Graham D, Snodgrass HR, Hunt III SW, A novel isoform of CD45 expressed on human CD4+ T lymphocytes, 1995; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 38(9) S191. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Carpal-metacarpal fracture following a bicycling accident, 1995; Journal of Musuloskeletal Medicine. () 83-84. PMID:

Satoh M, Kimar A, Kanwar YS, Hamilton KJ, Ajmani AK, Kimpel DL, Richards HB, Stanov L, Reeves WH, Induction of lupus-related autoantibodies with immune-complex glomerulonephritis in normal mice by pristane, 1995; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 38(9) S274. PMID:

Satoh M, Ajmani AK, Kimpel DL, Reeves WH, Induction of autoantibodies associated with SLE in BALB/c mice injected with Pristane, 1994; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 37(9) S292. PMID:

Satoh M, Kuwana M, Ogasawara T, Ajmani AK, Langdon JJ, Kimpel D, Wang J, Reeves WH, Association of autoantibodies to topoisomerase I and the phosphorylated (IIO) form of RNA polymerase II in Japanese scleroderma patients., 1994; Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950). 153(12) 5838-48. PMID: 7989779

Kimpel DL, Pogue R, Berger RG, Natarajan K, Hunt III SW, Molecular analysis of T cells in inflammatory arthritis (Surface markers and cytokines), 1993; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 36(9) S174. PMID:

Kimpel DL., Crisco V, Hunt III SW, Molecular analysis of T cells in inflammatory arthritis (T cell receptor and culturing), 1993; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 36(5) R17. PMID:

Kimpel DL., Crisco V, Hunt III SW, Molecular analysis of T cells in inflammatory arthritis (T cell receptor sequencing), 1992; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 35(9) S104. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Sagone AL, Effects of mitomycin C on metabolism in a rat liver preparation., 1984; Biochemical pharmacology. 33(21) 3479-84. PMID: 6437409

Spencer KG, Kimpel DL, Fisher ML, Togasaki RK, Miyachi S, Carbonic anhydrase in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: II. Requirements for carbonic anhydrase induction, 1983; Plant and Cell Physiology. 24(2) 301-304. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Togasaki RK, Miyachi S, Carbonic anhydrase in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: I. Localization, 1983; Plant and Cell Physiology. 24(2) 255-259. PMID:

Vaughn KC, Kimpel DL, Control of organelle transmission in Chlorophytum, 1981; Current Genetics. 3(2) 105-108. PMID:

Vaughn KC, Kimpel DL, Investigations of the plastome of Chlorophytum, 1980; Journal of Heredity. 71(3) 145-147. PMID:

Kimpel DL, Fuseler J, Hall V, Dayton T, Gray L, Wolf RE, Grisham MB, Splenectomy attenuates chronic, but not acute arthritis, induced by peptidoglycan/polysaccharide, ; Arthritis & Rheumatism. 41(9) S99. PMID: