Immunologic studies in patients with Takayasu's arteritis. II. Effects of serum on lymphocyte functions in vitro

Natural lymphocytotoxic antibodies, circulating immune complexes and their effect on in vitro blast transformation of normal cells were studied in 24 patients with Takayasu's arteritis. Sera with Takayasu's arteritis lacked lymphocytotoxic antibodies, had an inhibitory effect on the formation of EA and EAC rosettes and interfered with normal lymphocyte function in vitro. The absence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies, together with the other epidemiological and histocompatibility studies, would support the notion that Takayasu's arteritis and temporal arteritis are two distinct entities.