Incorporation of 14C-thymidine by cultures of erythrocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients and normal subjects, suggesting the presence of an L-form.

Cultures of washed erythrocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients and normal subjects were found to incorporated 14C-thymidine, suggesting the presence of an L-form. The extent of the incorporation by erythrocytes from rheumatoid patients was more variable than that by erythrocytes from normal subjects, and correlated negatively with IgG measurements and white cell counts performed on the patients' bloods, although not with the clinical activity of the patients.