Association of rheumatoid factor with complement activation in rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases (original) (raw)

. 1983 Aug;53(2):391–396.

Abstract

Rheumatoid factor (RF) is a complement activating autoantibody. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the rate of catabolism of complement is closely related to the titre of RF. Therefore, we have examined whether these relationships are unique to RA or will be found in non-RA disorders in which RF may be found in the circulation. We studied patients with subacute bacterial endocarditis, leprosy, tuberculosis, and a variety of other rheumatic and vasculitic disorders. We found that in all the disorders examined the RF had a complement activating potential which was equivalent to that of the RF of RA patients. Furthermore in vivo activation of complement, as exhibited by the appearance of C3 degradation products, was significantly related to higher titres of haemolytically active RF in non-RA as well as the RA group. In these respects, therefore, the RF in RA and non-RA patients is indistinguishable. A possible survival value for RF is discussed.

391

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arroyave C. M., Tan E. M. Detection of complement activation by counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE). J Immunol Methods. 1976;13(2):101–112. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(76)90148-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dunne J. V., Peters C. J., Moore T. L., Vaughan J. H. Differential effects of propranolol on lymphocyte rosette formation and response to plant mitogens. Arthritis Rheum. 1978 Sep-Oct;21(7):767–773. doi: 10.1002/art.1780210705. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Heimer R., Levin F. M. On the distribution of rheumatoid factors among the immunoglobulins. Immunochemistry. 1966 Jan;3(1):1–10. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(66)90276-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kaplan R. A., Curd J. G., Deheer D. H., Carson D. A., Pangburn M. K., Müller-Eberhard H. J., Vaughan J. H. Metabolism of C4 and factor B in rheumatoid arthritis. Relation to rheumatoid factor. Arthritis Rheum. 1980 Aug;23(8):911–920. doi: 10.1002/art.1780230806. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Milgrom H., Curd J. G., Kaplan R. A., Müller-Eberhard H. J., Vaughan J. H. Activation of the fourth component of complement (C4): assessment by rocket immunoelectrophoresis and correlation with the metabolism of C4. J Immunol. 1980 Jun;124(6):2780–2785. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Sabharwal U. K., Vaughan J. H., Fong S., Bennett P. H., Carson D. A., Curd J. G. Activation of the classical pathway of complement by rheumatoid factors. Assessment by radioimmunoassay for C4. Arthritis Rheum. 1982 Feb;25(2):161–167. doi: 10.1002/art.1780250208. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Schmid F. R., Roitt I. M., Rocha M. J. Complement fixation by a two-component antibody system: immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M anti-globulin (rheumatoid factor). Parodoxical effect related to immunoglobulin G concentration. J Exp Med. 1970 Oct 1;132(4):673–693. doi: 10.1084/jem.132.4.673. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Schrohenloher R. E. Characterization of the gamma-globulin complexes present in certain sera having high titers of anti-gamma-globulin activity. J Clin Invest. 1966 Apr;45(4):501–512. doi: 10.1172/JCI105364. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Slaughter L., Carson D. A., Jensen F. C., Holbrook T. L., Vaughan J. H. In vitro effects of Epstein-Barr virus on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and normal subjects. J Exp Med. 1978 Nov 1;148(5):1429–1434. doi: 10.1084/jem.148.5.1429. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Tanimoto K., Cooper N. R., Johnson J. S., Vaughan J. H. Complement fixation by rheumatoid factor. J Clin Invest. 1975 Mar;55(3):437–445. doi: 10.1172/JCI107949. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Zuraw B. L., O'Hair C. H., Vaughan J. H., Mathison D. A., Curd J. G., Katz D. H. Immunoglobulin E-rheumatoid factor in the serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and other diseases. J Clin Invest. 1981 Dec;68(6):1610–1613. doi: 10.1172/JCI110418. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]