Rheumatoid factor plaque-forming cells in rheumatoid synovial tissue.

Cells producing rheumatoid factor (RF) were readily detected in vitro by means of a haemolytic plaque assay system employing sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) sensitized with reduced and alkylated rabbit IgG anti-SRBC antibody as target cells. Rheumatoid factor-producing, plaque-forming cells (RF-PFC) were observed in all of the synovial tissue cell preparations from seropositive rheumatoid arthritis patients studied. The numbers of RF-PFC varied considerably without any direct correlation with serum titres of RF antibody activity. However, high numbers of RF-PFC were never found in patients with low rheumatoid factor titres whereas, high and low numbers of RF-PFC were found among the patients with high RF titres. Synovial tissue cell preparations from a group of seronegative patients, with only one exception, failed to exhibit RF-PFC.