ABSTRACT
Seventy- four cases of clinically diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis [RA], fifty cases of systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], and thirty healthy normal controls "were investigated for detection of rheumatoid factor [RF], total serum immunoglobulins [Igs], antinuclear antibody [ANA], and ANA subtype anti-double stranded DNA [anti-ds DNA], Patients with RA showed 58.1% positive for RF comparable with 14% positivity in SLE patients and 6.6% in normal individuals. Serum Igs [IgA,IgG] were found to be elevated in RA and SLE patients [62.2%, 36.5%] [54%, 38%] respectively. This study revealed that ANA is found in 88% of SLE patients sera and 78% of these ANA is ds DNA in comparison with only 6.8% of RA sera were found positive for ANA
ABSTRACT
Rheumatiod factor in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis [RA] could be oflgM, IgG, or IgG isotypes. To study the occurance of each or all these isotypes in RA patients. Enzyme linked Immune Sorbent Assay [ELISA] and Latex agglutination test were used to asses RF in 74 patients with RA. Using ELISA, 58 [78.4%] patients had positive RF [IgM 48.6%, IgG in 47.3% and IgA in 54.1%], while only 43 [58.1] patients were positive by AG. All RF isotypes should be assessed in patients with RA