Antibody elution by chloroform and trichloroethylene was compared with the Rubin ether method modified by Hughes-Jones for IgG antibodies and the Landsteiner and Miller heat method for IgM antibodies. After washing the cells, the chloroform and trichloroethylene method was done at 37 degrees C for 10 minutes. With this technique the eluate remained on the upper layer above the red blood cell stroma layer, while with Rubin's method the eluate remained below the cell stroma. The reported technique was as effective as the Landsteiner and Miller heat method for IgM antibodies, and a double volume of eluate was obtained.

A survey of the results of laboratory investigations in 6 cases of drug‐induced hemolytic anemia showed that in 5 of them adsorption of immune complexes to red cells only occurred when the I antigen was expressed in the erythrocyte membrane.

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Sir,Felty's syndrome (FS) designates a triad of findings including rheumatoid arthritis, splenomegaly and granulocytopenia with or without cutaneous ulcers (5). There are two possible types of mechanism responsible for the neutropenia: that at the peripheral circulating blood leukocyte level, and that acting at central bone marrow compartment level (1, 2, 6). There is considerable controversy over therapy; some authors favoring splenectomy when marked elevation is found in preoperative serum granulocyte binding IgG (3). Encouraged by the efficacy of plasmapheresis in the quantitative removal of circulating immune complexes and autoantibodies (9), we treated one patient with Felty's syndrome, presenting with severe granulocytopenia and high titre of antineutrophil antibodies with three courses of plasma exchange for three consecutive days, resulting in a significant improvement in granulocyte count.A 60-year-old-woman with classic Felty's syndrome (rheumatoid arthritis for the last 20 years, splenomegaly, leukopenia and a left leg ulcer) was admitted because of severe neutropenia. The leukocyte count was 900 and the total neutrophil count 144. Other analyses disclosed: rheumatoid factor + 1/80, Waaler-Rose + 115, antinuclear antibodies + 1/400, anti-DNAds 0, antigranulocyte antibodies + 11256, complement was normal.Scand J Rheumatol Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by UB Giessen on 11/01/14For personal use only.Scand J Rheumatology 14

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