Demonstration of Anti‐Rubella Antibody‐secreting Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Abstract

A plaque-forming cell assay is described using erythrocytes coated with viral antigen [Ag] which detected anti-viral antibody[Ab]-secreting cells against various viral Ag. These anti-viral Ab-secreting cells were studied in normal individuals with known viral infections and in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Rubella anti-viral Ab-secreting cells were present after induction in the peripheral blood of 8 of 10 patients. No plaques were seen before induction. Synovial tissue of 7 patients out of 10 showed rubella-Ag-specific plaques before induction. In all 3 patients tested, the number of plaques increased after induction. The peripheral blood of only 1 patient showed plaque-forming cells against mumps virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV) Ag. No other patients showed any plaques against CMV, respiratory syncytial virus, mumps virus, measles virus, adenovirus and varicella zoster virus Ag. The method appears promising in studying viral Ab-secreting cells in human immunopathology.