[Irregular agglutinins, hemolysins, antilymphocyte antibodies, serum anticomplementarity, human and species antiglobulins and cryoglobulins in a series of 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

An immunological investigation was carried out on 33 rheumatoid polyarthritis patients. The phenomena of antierythrocytes immunization were investigated by standard tests : irregular agglutinins, haemolysins, and auto-antibodies which all proved negative. The lymphocyte immunological phenomena were also studied. Cold (4 degrees C) lymphocytotoxins were shown in 8 patients, 5 of whom had anti-lymphocyte auto-antibodies. The proportions of "sheep rosettes" were significantly reduced. The sera did not show notable anti-complementary activity. Studies on the human antiglobulins and on species antiglobulins were not very conclusive. Cryoglobulins were never detected. No clear correlation was found between these different tests and those of standard rheumatism serology.