Lower gastrointestinal affection in rheumatoid arthritis

The aim of this work was to study the small and large intestinal affection in rheumatoid arthritis [RA]. Twenty-five patients having rheumatoid arthritis [RA] and ten patients having osteoarthritis [OA] were compared. Duplex study of the celiac artery [CA] and superior mesenteric artery [SMA] was done. Colonoscopy and colonoscopic biopsies were taken for histopathological examination [H and E] and peroxidase staining for IgA, IgG and IgM searching for local colonic immune reaction. A statistically significant increase in peak systolic velocity [PSV], end diastolic velocity [EDV] and resistivity index [RI] of both CA and SMA was detected in the group of patients with RA compared with those with OA. Varying grades of colitis [inflammatory cell infiltration and oedema] were found in both groups, but was much pronounced in the RA group. Immunoperoxidase staining for IgA showed no significant difference between patients and controls; however a deposition of IgG and IgM immune complexes was found in the group of patients with RA not in those with OA