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The lymphocytes blastigenesis to PHA in culture with autologous or normal plasma, the formation of E rosettes and the presence of immunoglob-lins on the lymphocytes surface were evaluated in 51 patients with chronic primary polyarthritis. While the percentage of T and B cells was almost normal (52.1 +/- 2.1% and 18.1 +/- 2.1%, N.V. 55.6 +/- 2.0% and 16.2 +/- 0.8%), the blastigenesis was significantly reduced in cultures with a 25% autologous plasma (5399 +/- 709 cpm compared to 13,182 +/- 920 cpm of the normal standard) and returned towards normal values when it was replaced by the plasma of a normal subject (12,189 +/- 1081 cpm). The rheumatoid plasma was capable of reducing the blastigenesis in 11 normal subjects (7395 +/- 750 cpm). The preincubation for 90' of the lymphocytes of 14 controls in rheumatoid or autologous plasma induced a significant reduction in the formation of spontaneous rosettes (40.8 +/- 1.4 % and 56.2 +/- 1.7%). These results suggest that the reduced function of the T lymphocytes in this disease is due to plasma factors.