Cell-mediated immune responses in patients with recurrent arthritis following rubella immunization.

Six young adult women with recurrent rubella arthritis after HPV-77 DE/5 rubella immunization were studied. Lymphocyte responses to rubella and mumps antigens, and phytohemogglutinin and pokeweed mitogens, were measured in these patients and in 20 immunized hospital employees who did not develop arthritis. All 6 arthritic subjects had pre-immunization hemagglutination inhibition titers of less than 1:8 and their lymphocyte responses to rubella antigen were significantly elevated when compared with those members of the control group with a similar pre-immunization titer of less than 1:8. No significant differences between the 2 groups were found in the other lymphocyte responses.