Positive latex fixation tests were observed in relation to sarcoidosis, kala azar and liver disease without concomitant rheumatoid arthritis. Ultracentrifugation of sera from these patients revealed the presence of a heavy gamma globulin resembling rheumatoid factor. Amboceptor-sensitized sheep cell tests were uniformly negative except in the one case of liver disease.Positive tests de fixation de latex esseva observate in association con sarcoidosis, kala-azar, e morbo hepatic sin concomitante arthritis rheumatoide. Ultracentrifugation de seros ab iste patientes revelava le presentia de un pesante &-bulina gamma resimilante factor rheumatoide. Tests con cellulas ovin a sensibilitate arnboceptori esseva uniformemente negative, except in le sol caso de morbo hepatic in le serie.HE DIFFERENT SEROLOGIC TESTS which involve the rheumatoid T factor are generally considered to be relatively specific for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The incidence of positive results in other conditions is usually considered to be less than five per cent, and most of these have been observed in conditions closely related to rheumatoid arthritis such as fupus erythematosus and periarteritis nodosa. A few authors have noted positive results in other diseases. Ziff and associates, in a review of the literature, found an incidence of 16 per cent positive serologic reactions in patients with infectious hepatitis.' Rothermich and Philips2 and more recently Peltier and Christians noted positive serologic reactions in persons with known syphilis. De Forrest and associates4 found positive tests in patients with rheumatic heart disease and certain febrile illnesses. The majority of studies have not furnished quantitative data on the serologic tests in these instances, and usually only one test was applied. High titers in the F I1 test have recently been noted in individual cases of syphilis3 and trichinosis.5 Large-scale studies of the exact incidence of the rheumatoid factors in various disorders, particularly those with hyperglobulinemia, have not been reported.The present report concerns three diseases, generalized sarcoidosis, kala azar and cirrhosis of the liver, where definite positive results in certain of the sero-
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