Impaired conA suppressor cell activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis shows normalization during fasting

Normal controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were investigated with respect to quantitative lymphocyte proliferation (LP) after concanavalin-A (conA) activation and to conA-induced suppressor cell activity (conA-SC). Measurements and assessment of RA activity were made at the beginning and end of a 10-day fast. The controls showed depressed (p less than 0.05) LP at the end of the fast, but no change in conA-SC activity. The RA group showed subnormal (p less than 0.05) LP and conA-SC (p less than 0.01) at the beginning of the experiment. After fasting they showed clinical improvement, the LP was not further depressed, and the initially low conA-SC had become normal.