ESTIMATION OF SERUM Vicfflb LIGHT CHAINS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND CORRELATION WITH CD5-POSITIVE -CELLS

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Abstract
The presence of Vidllb light chains in the sera of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients has been evaluated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). VκIIIb light chains have been confirmed to be largely restricted to IgM, and were rarely detected in the IgG fraction of sera. The concentration of total serum VicIIIb did not significantly vary with age, nor did it correlate with IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF) titre. Although total serumVκIIIb was not significantly increased in RA patients compared with matched controls, IgM-RFs frequently contained VicIIIb. Using flow cytometry, CD5-positive B-cells were not increased in these RA patients compared with healthy laboratory control personnel. Furthermore, there was no direct correlation between total serum IgM VKlllb content and CD5-positive B-cell numbers in peripheral blood