Measurement of plasma and synovial fluid fibronectin in primary osteoarthritis of the knee

The relation between the level of plasma fibronectin [FN] and synovial fluid fibronectin was studied in osteoarthritic [OA] patients and compared to normal controls to determine the feasibility of employing FN as a marker of OA. There was no significant change of plasma FN level in patients with OA [33.7 +/- 11.22] when compared to normal controls [30.1 +/- 8.05]. There was significant elevation of synovial fluid FN in patients with OA [p < 0.01] when compared to normal controls. There was no relation between plasma fibronectin and synovial fluid fibronectin. Therefore, Plasma FN cannot be used as a marker of OA since no significant change of this parameter occurs in such cases and that no specific relationship exists between plasma FN and synovial fluid. This may be explained by the fact that the factors governing one do not govern the other. Svynovial fluid fibronectin in OA patients was significantly increased in this study. This can serve to differentiate normal from those with OA

computerized program for the rapid diagnosis of rheumatic diseases

An expert system shell with some artificial intelligence technology capability was used to produce a medical expert system program [Rheumatologist 2.0] for the diagnosis of peripheral arthropathies. Published clinical data [symptoms and signs] about the various diseases causing peripheral joint arthropathy from different medical textbooks were reviewed and selected. These data constituted the diagnostic criteria for each of the diseases included in the rheumatologist 2.0 program. This program was tested on 100 patients presenting with arthritis to the Outpatient Clinic of the Rheumatology and Immunology Unit in the medical department of Cairo University by comparing diagnoses produced by it to those produced by practicing physicians. The results showed that this program performed almost equally well as trained physicians in the initial phase