Study of cellular immunity in rheumatoid arthritis: inhibition of leucocyte migration by a synovial extract.

The antigenicity of aqueous extracts of osteoarthritic and rheumatoid synoviale was studied in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, other diseases and in normal controls by the mean of leucocyte migration test, lymphoblastic transformation test and cutaneous reactions. In 59% cases of rheumatoid arthritis an inhibition of the migration of leucocytes was found but there was no relation between this test and the clinical state, the evolution, rheumatoid serology and other laboratory parameters. In some cases of rheumatoid arthritis an inhibition of the migration of leucocytes was observed also with a pericardial and hepatic extract. In normal controls the leucocyte migration test is always negative, but it is positive in 37% of cases of various inflammatory and neoplastic diseases and the difference is not significant considering the percentage of positivity of the test in rheumatoid arthritis. The lymphoblastic transformation test and the cutaneous reactions were always negative in rheumatoid arthritis and in controls. Thus, the leucocyte migration test using a synovial extract as an antigen does not bring evidence in favour of an auto-immune conflict in rheumatoid arthritis.