Clinical significance of the immunological and serological parameters in early and long standing rheumatoid arthritis

ABSTRACT

To investigate the additional predictor value of different immunological and serological parameters by evaluating the relationships of these parameters to each other, to the activity, and to the radiological damage in RA patients with different disease durations and grades of activity. Sixty patients [53 females and 7 males], mean age 36.2 years [range 20 - 57] and median disease duration from <6 weeks-28 years were evaluated clinically, with laboratory and radiology in the Rheumatology Department of Assiut University Hospital. Patients met the 1987 American College of Rheumatology Revised [ACR] Criteria. The disease duration didn't seem to influence the rate of occurrence of RF or ANA. The results presented here support that there was a significant positive correlation between CRP with the mean disease grading activity MDGA [p<0.01] and with the degree of radiological damage [p=0.02]. While RF levels in seropositive patients with different grades of activity did not correlate with any of the disease parameters used for assessment of the patients. However, positive RF positively correlated with radiological damage [p=0.04]. ANA positivity only correlated with pain score but not with grades of the disease activity or the severity of the radiological damage