Con A‐induced Suppressor Cell Activity and T‐lymphocyte Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Abstract
Suppressor cell activity was investigated in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 20 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) using a concanavalin A/mixed lymphocyte culture assay. The mean suppression in the RA patients was slightly reduced compared with the suppressor cell activity in adult controls (25 .+-. 5% suppression compared with 37 .+-. 5%; P > 0.05, Student''s t test), whereas the JRA patients had normal suppressor cell activity (mean 46 .+-. 5% vs. 43 .+-. 5% in healthy children matched for age and sex). The RA patients had normal proportions of T cell subpopulations, 13.3% T.gamma. [IgG Fc receptor-bearing T cells] cells and 49.8% T.mu. [IgM Fc receptor-bearing T cells] cells, compared with 13.8% and 58.0% in controls. The JRA patients had a significantly reduced mean percentage of T.gamma. cells, 6.6%, compared with 13.8% in healthy children (P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test). The mean percentage of T.mu. cells was 53.7%, vs. 56.2% in the controls. The relation between suppressor cell activity and suppressor cells enumerated by membrane markers is discussed.

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