Suppressor T cell dysfunction and anti-suppressor cell antibody in active early rheumatoid arthritis.

Suppressor T cell hypofunction was found in active early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (disease less than 3 months) and not in active late RA (greater than 6 months) or inactive RA. Active early RA patients when they were restudied 11-23 months later had normal suppressor cell function despite persistence of disease activity. Anti-suppressor cell antibody of the IgG class could be detected in plasma from active early RA patients and not in plasma from the other RA groups or the non RA controls. B cell targets for the Concanavalin A activated suppressor T cells were found to be functionally normal in early active RA. Suppressor cell hypofunction may contribute to the initiation, but not the persistence of rheumatoid synovitis.