Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient preparations of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and acute rheumatic fever were highly "contaminated" with low buoyant density neutrophils. Plasma from these patients could induce an in vitro decrease of buoyancy in neutrophils with normal buoyant density. Similar change could be induced by complementactivated sera and aggregated gamma globulin. These data suggest that activated neutrophils are a common finding in the peripheral blood of these patients and may influence the interpretation of any studies with these cells. Functional studies of lymphocytes separated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradients should also take into account the higher degree of impurity of the cell preparations in patients with rheumatic diseases.Researchers have reported wide variations in the composition of mononuclear cell preparations obtained by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient preparations (1-3). The percentage of lymphocytes in the gradient-derived cell suspension is significantly decreased in patients with various forms of cancer (4-7). This decrease has been attributed to decreased buoyant density of the nonlymphoid cells in the peripheral blood of these patients, which causes a disproportionate number

Um estudo duplo-cego foi conduzido em pacientes portadores de lepra lepromatosa estável, para avaliar a resposta à administração de talidomida 100 mg por dia, por 18 dias, dos níveis séricos de IgM e IgA e dos títulos de fator reumatóide e isohemaglutininas anti-A e anti-B. Nenhum efeito significativo foi detectado ao fim deste período.