Abstract
The synthesis of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) by mononuclear cells (MNC) from peripheral blood and synovial fluid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was studied emploing radioimmunoassay. The correlations between Ig synthesis rates and clinical data were also studied.
The decreased synthesis of IgM by peripheral MNC, and of IgA by synovial fluid MNC, was characteristic of RA patients. A coincidence was found between the synthesis of IgM by peripheral MNC and the decreased serum IgM levels in RA patients. Furthermore, significant correlation was found between IgM synthesis rates by synovial fluid MNC and (a) blood sedimentation rate and (b) sensitized sheep red blood cell agglutination test. In contrast, Igsynthesis rates by peripheral blood MNC did not correlate with the clinical data. These data suggest the significant role of the synovial fluid MNC.
