DEMONSTRATION OF RHEUMATOID-FACTOR IDIOTYPIC ANTIGENS ON PERIPHERAL BLOOD-B AND LYMPHOCYTES-T FROM PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Antisera were raised against 3 polyclonal Ig[immunoglobulin]M rheumatoid factors (RF). After adequate absorptions, the antisera were rendered idiotype-specific, as assayed by a hemagglutination technique. By using the anti-idiotype antisera in indirect immunofluorescence on peripheral blood lymphocytes from the patients used as donors for the immunizing RF, 3-14% of the lymphocytes were stained and had membrane-bound structures with idiotypic antigens [Ag] similar to those of the circulating IgM RF of the same patients. While most of these idiotype-positive lymphocytes were B [bone marrow-derived] lymphocytes, in 1 patient about 7% of the T [thymus-derived] lymphocytes also had the same idiotypic Ag.