[Clinical relevance of determining lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

Blood lymphocytes were determined from 21 patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a cross-sectional study with 5 monoclonal antibodies (MAb) of the BL-series. 7 patients were examined with the same MAb over a time period of 14 weeks before and after a prednisolone-pulse therapy. The cross-sectional study showed a significant higher percentage of Ia4+ T-helper/inducer-lymphocytes in RA-patients compared to control persons. The value of Ia4+ T-lymphocytes didn't correlate to the clinical activity of the RA. No significant differences were observed in the helper/suppressor T-lymphocyte ratio. The lymphocyte subpopulations were not significantly different immediately before and after a prednisolone-pulse therapy. The percentage of B-lymphocytes was significantly higher in comparison to the controls 24 h after prednisolone-pulse therapy. An immunomonitoring of the clinical activity and the therapy of RA is not possible with the used MAb.