In vitro synthesis of IgM rheumatoid factor in response to STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS, by lymphocytes from healthy adults

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Abstract
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 healthy adults were tested in vitro for the production of IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) in response to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) or pokeweed mitogen. Fifteen of the 20 normal subjects produced ⩾4 ng/ml IgM-RF (mean ± SD 46 ± 55 ng/ml) in response to SAC, compared with only 2 of 20 who produced ±4 ng/ml IgM-RF (mean ± SD 2 ± 4 ng/ml) in response to pokeweed mitogen (P = 0.0001). Separation and reconstitution of autologous T and B cell-enriched fractions, with and without prior T cell irradiation, provided evidence for a radiosensitive T helper/inducer cell involved in the IgM-RF response to SAC in 70% of the normal subjects studied. SAC appears to be a potent stimulus of IgM-RF production, with a cellular mechanism distinct from that of other in vitro systems.