Prevalence of rheumatoid factor positivity in normal Egyptian population in comparison with patients suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid factor was assessed in sera of 111 normal subjects, 50 patients with osteoarthritis [OS], 20 patients with connective tissue disease other than rheumatoid arthritis [other CTD] and 54 patients with rheumatoid arthritis [RA]. Latex agglutination test [Humatex RF] was used. Sera were considered positive when agglutination occurred in dilution 1: 2 which is equivalent to 24 IU ml [WHO]. Eight out of 111 normal subjects were positive for RF, 5 out of 50 OA patients showed seropositivity. Five out of 20 patients with other CTD were found to be seropositive. RA patients gave 59% positivity [32 out of 54]. In conclusion, a high false positive RF in normal Egyptians and OA patients and a rather low seropositivity in RF patients were observed and raising the cut-off level for RF positivity to meet the criteria of ACR [5% positive RF in normal population] on using this test in Egypt is recommended

Hepatic structural glycoprotein metabolism in liver cirrhosis and its correlation with different disease parameters

This study was conducted on 39 patients diagnosed as liver cirrhosis and 20 age and sex matched controls. Twenty-six patients had clinical and/or sonographic evidence of ascites, but only 22 could be subjected to sampling of their ascites. Serum laminin [LPI] was estimated in all patients and controls, while ascitic fluid LPI was assessed only in 22 samples. Mean value +/- SD of serum LPI in patients [2.36 +/- 0.8] was significantly higher than control group [1.47 +/- 0.25]. Ascitic fluid laminin showed a significant correlation to serum laminin. A ratio of ascitic fluid LPI/serum LPI was calculated with a mean +/- SD of 0.944 +/- 0.45. Mean value of +/- SD of serum LPI in patients with history of gastrointestinal [GI] bleeding [2.69 +/- 1.13] was significantly higher than in patients with no such history [2 +/- 0.92]. Serum LPI was also significantly correlated to the quantitative reduction of hepatic right and left robe spans as measured by ultrasonography. The results suggested that serum LPI values were correlated with the degree of hepatic fibrosis. The study provided a potential new risk factor for GI bleeding from esophageal varices. The study also provided, for the first time, the ratio of ascitic fluid LPI/serum LPI in patients with liver cirrhosis

Extracellular matrix glucoprotein metabolism in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis: another evidence for basement membrane involvement

The aim of this study was to investigate laminin metabolism in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]. Twenty patients with SLE, 20 RA patients and 20 patients with osteoarthritis [OA] were recruited for the study. Twenty age and sex matched healthy persons served as control for SLE, while another 20 age and sex matched control subjects were recruited to serve as control for RA and OA patients. This study provided evidence for basement membrane involvement in patients with SLE and RA. Serum LPI can be used as a marker differentiating inflammatory versus degenerative arthritis. The effect of cyclophosphamide on serum LPI should be taken in consideration in future studies

Serum lipids and lipoproteins in active rheumatoid arthritis

Twenty-five patients with recently diagnosed active RA [five men and twenty women] and fifteen healthy control subjects [three men and twelve women] were recruited for this study. Serum total lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations were significantly reduced by 14%, 33% and 12%, respectively, compared with the control subjects. There was no significant difference in HDL and LDL cholesterol values in patients and controls. On looking at female subpopulation, serum total lipids, triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly reduced in patients by 13%, 29%, 13% and 15%, respectively, but there was no significant difference in HDL cholesterol concentration in female patients compared with female controls. There was no correlation between these results and level of sedimentation rate. This study provided evidence of abnormal lipid metabolism in active rheumatoid arthritis but the cardiovascular disease associated with RA could not attributed to these abnormalities