Immunologic studies of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Antigammaglobulins of the IgG, IgA and IgM classes, and whole hemolytic complement and complement components were measured in the sera and synovial fluid of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Two groups of patients were distinguishable using these measurements. A group of patients with chronic active disease had elevated levels of IgG, IgA and IgM antigammaglobulins and relative depressions of complement and complement components in sera and synovial fluid. Another group of patients with acute self-limited disease had elevated levels of IgG and IgA antigammaglobulins and serum complement and negative latex fixation tests in association with disease activity. These values returned to normal with clinical remissions.While there is now ample evidence to implicate rheumatoid factors and comple-

Selective subnormal IgG3 in 121 adult index patients with frequent or severe bacterial respiratory tract infections

“…Nonclonal elevated serum IgM levels occur in many conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis [54][55][56][57][58]. This could explain elevated IgM in some of the present patients.…”

Antiglobulins in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

“…Patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) may have occult IgM or IgG antiglobulins when standard tests for rheumatoid factor are negative (1)(2)(3)(4). These antiglobulins have been detected by adsorption to and elution from insoluble globulins (1,2), by physical separation of complexes by Sephadex chromatography (3), and by affinity chromatography using globulin fixed to Sepharose (4).…”

IgM rheumatoid factor and low molecular weight IgM. An association with vasculitis

“…and IgG with antigamma globulin activity was subsequently demonstrated in such complexes (6,7). Thereafter IgG rheumatoid factor (IgG RF) was found in serum from rheumatoid patients of both the adult (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) and juvenile (13) varieties by a number of techniques, In rheumatoid synovial fluids aggregates of IgG capable of reacting with IgM RF have been demonstrated (14,15). These represent immune complexes containing IgG RF (16,17).…”