The effect of sera from patients with connective tissue diseases on red cell binding and phagocytosis by monocytes

The uptake by human blood monocytes of sheep erythrocytes treated with rabbit anti-sheep antibody with or without mouse complement was assessed by a radioactive method to discover whether immune complexes would inhibit this reaction. It was found that sera from SLE patients inhibited uptake whereas normal sera enhanced. Some rheumatoid sera and rheumatoid joint fluids inhibited uptake whereas sera from juvenile rheumatoid patients did not.