HEMAGGLUTINATION OF SENSITIZED HUMAN O ERYTHROCYTES BY SERA OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (SECOND REPORT)

Abstract

The author demonstrated in the previous report that the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are able to agglutinate in high titers the human O erythrocytes sensitized by a non-agglutinating amount of rabbit anti-human O cell serum. This modified Waaler-Rose test was used in the present study and following results were obtained.1. The sensitized human O cell agglutination reaction was significantly potentiated when patients sera were diluted in 5% sheep or guinea pig serum rather than in salein solution. When 5% horse, dog and human sera were used as diluents, the sensitized O cell agglutination titers were either somewhat increased or unchanged, whereas the agglutination was significantly inhibited when patients sera were diluted in rabbit serum.2. Increase in titer more than fourfold was observed in 71% of 28 sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis when diluted in sheep serum and in 75% of the same cases when diluted in guinea pig serum. On the other hand, the same increase in titer was observed in 12% of 42 sera of patients other than rheumatoid arthritis when diluted in sheep serum and in 14% when diluted in guinea pig serum.3. The solutions of Cohn Fraction II+III (globulin) of sheep and guinea pig serum potentiated the sensitized human O cell agglutination reaction when sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis were diluted in these solutions.4. When solutions of various concentrations of human serum Cohn F.V, F.II, F.III and F.II+III were used as diluents, the sensitized human O cell agglutination titer increased in F.V solutions (especially in relatively low concentrations), and decreased in F.II, F.III and F.II+III solutions.