Evidence for B cell activation in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis

Peripheral blood lymphocytes and in some cases synovial eluate cells from 51 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), were analysed for the percentages of cells bearing surface light chains (total B cells), IgM and IgD. In addition, their capacity to form rosettes with mouse erythrocytes (mRFC)--a property of a B cell subpopulation--was determined. Activity of the disease was assessed by clinical and laboratory criteria and classified as very active, moderately active and inactive. Normal, age and sex matched individuals and a group of patients with a variety of other rheumatological disorders, were used as control populations. Although there was no significant difference in percentages of total B cells in any of the groups compared with normal controls, there was a small but significant increase in the ratio of cells bearing IgM to those bearing IgD in patients with very active disease. This was paralleled by a significant decrease in the mRFC in this disease activity group. Patients with inactive disease showed no change in their proportions of IgM:IgD, but did show a significant increase in mRFC. These results are discussed in terms of the presence of activated B cells in patients with very active RA.