[Lymphocyte blast transformation according to the clinical variant of rheumatoid arthritis]

Blast-transformation reaction of lymphocytes to non-specific stimulation with phytohemaglutinines was studies in 83 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with different activity of the general inflammatory reaction, stage and form of the disease. Lymphocytes react with diminished activity to that stimulation both in the early and late stages of the disease, being an index for the intransience of the conditions for antigen stimulation. The diminished lymphocyte reaction correlates with the clinical-laboratory indices for activity of rheumatoid arthritis. It raises in the course of the medicament tosus effect and reflects the effectiveness of treatment. The cellular immunity takes part in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Blast-transformation test could be used as an aide in the determination of rheumatoid arthritis activity as well as of the cellular immunity state.