Latex fixation test in rheumatoid arthritis III. A longitudinal study of the titer of rheumatoid factor and thermolabile inhibitor

In the latex fixation test the determination of the titer of rheumatoid factor together with the thermolabile inhibitor was shown to provide reproducible serological parameters which were used in a longitudinal study of 66 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. All 8 patients who experienced an unequivocal remission during the course of observation were found in the group of patients with relatively low titers of the latex fixation test and with varying degrees of thermolabile inhibition. No remissions occurred in the group of patients with high titers with out thermolabile inhibition.