Analysis of lymphocyte subsets in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients: correlation with disease activity.

Various erythrocyte rosette forming cells (ERFC) were quantified in 111 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA): total-ERFC (t-RFC), active-ERFC (act-ERFC), autologous-ERFC (auto-ERFC) and high affinity erythrocyte-antibody rosette forming cells (EA-RFC). B lymphocytes were counted using a direct immunofluorescence method. A decrease in act-ERFC and an increase in high affinity EA-RFC was found, but only the levels of the former correlated with the degree of inflammation and may be regarded as an indicator of clinical activity. Conversely, numbers of t-ERFC, auto-ERFC and B lymphocytes were found to be approximately normal. There was no correlation between the level of act-ERFC and the presence of rheumatoid factor, circulating immune complexes or antinuclear antibodies.