Premium
Hidden Rheumatoid Factor and Wa Idiotype Expression in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Author(s) -
ILOWITE N.T.,
WEDGWOOD J.F.,
MOORE T.L.,
RAMAKRISHNAN T.,
BONAGURA V. R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1991.tb01568.x
Subject(s) - idiotype , rheumatoid factor , immunology , rheumatoid arthritis , medicine , juvenile rheumatoid arthritis , antibody , monoclonal antibody , arthritis
The major rheumatoid factor cross‐reactive ideotype, which was defined by prototypic monoclonal igM rheumatoid factors from Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia patient Wa, is present on 60% of all monoclonal IgM RF paraproteins. One‐third of patients with Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), who are seronegative for classic IgM rheumatoid factor (RF). express the Wa idiotype in high titre in their sera. To determine if the Wa idiotype is present on hidden rheumatoid factors in JRA patient sera, we studied hidden RF expression by both ELISA and haemolytic assay techniques. The majority of JRA sera with increased concentrations of the Wa idiotype did not have increased RF activity nor hidden RF activity. In some JRA patients, the Wa Idiotype may he expressed on a parallel set of immunoglobulin molecules, related to RFs. hut lacking the ability to bind to IgG.