Lymphocyte Studies in Rheumatoid Arthritis: V.<i>Suppressor Cell Function in Peripheral Blood</i>

Abstract

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 14 controls were examined for suppressor activity by two different assays. These were the Concanavalin-A-induced and the short-lived suppressor cell assays. There was no difference in suppressor activity between patients and controls, the suppressor activity of HLA-DR3 positive patients was no less than that of non-DR3 patients. However, patients with nodules showed reduced suppression in the short-lived suppressor cell assay when compared with patients without nodules.