INCREASED NATIVE CHEMILUMINESCENCE IN GRANULOCYTES ISOLATED FROM SYNOVIAL-FLUID AND PERIPHERAL-BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) isolated from peripheral blood and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and from periphe ral blood of volunteers were stimulated with 12-phorbol-13-myristate a cetate (PMA). No significant differences in luminol-amplified chemilum inescence were found between different patients and control groups. Ho wever, two distinct patterns of native chemiluminescence were observed . Type I showed no, or only a small, increase in native chemiluminesce nce with integral counts over 30 min less than 3 X 10(5) cpm, and the majority of samples from volunteers were of this type. Type II was cha racterized by a burst of native chemiluminescence starting 8 to 15 min after cell stimulation. It was found in most PMN samples from patient s with rheumatoid arthritis. Integral counts over 30 min were always h igher than 10(6) cpm and as high as 10(8) cpm in some cases. A strong inhibition of the Type II native chemiluminescence was caused by desfe ral, catalase, thiourea, and glutathione. However, the luminol-amplifi ed chemiluminescence remained unchanged or was only slightly decreased under the same experimental conditions. Sodium azide strongly inhibit ed both kinds of luminescence. Hydroxyl radicals, formed in a Fenton r eaction, may be important intermediates in the Type II native chemilum inescence.