ABSTRACT
Literature and original data on 97 RA patients concerning the diagnosis of rheumatoid vasculitis (RV) are presented. Study was made of CIC, rheumatoid factor, migration profiles of skin fenestra, IgG- and C3b-dependent adherence of peripheral blood neutrophils. The latter was found when elevated to relate to RV symptoms which was confirmed by skin biopsy. Feasibility of using the results of the study for RV diagnosis is discussed.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/diagnosis , Neutrophils/immunology , Vasculitis/diagnosis , 5'-Nucleotidase/blood , Adult , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications , Cell Adhesion , Cell Migration Inhibition , Clinical Enzyme Tests , Complement C3b/analysis , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Male , Skin Window Technique , Vasculitis/etiologyABSTRACT
From the analysis of literature and first-hand data on methylprednisolone pulse-therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the conclusion is made that such therapy produces a rapid and pronounced though short-term effect on the disease activity. It fails to stop RA progression. A case of two-wave effect is attributed to restoration of target cell sensitivity to chrysotherapy.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Methylprednisolone/therapeutic use , Antirheumatic Agents/administration & dosage , Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/physiopathology , Dimercaprol/administration & dosage , Dimercaprol/therapeutic use , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Humans , Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage , Middle Aged , Organogold Compounds , Organometallic Compounds/administration & dosage , Organometallic Compounds/therapeutic use , Propanols , Sulfasalazine/administration & dosage , Sulfasalazine/therapeutic use , Sulfhydryl CompoundsABSTRACT
A method has been developed for the assessment of the synovial fluid (SF) complement-dependent opsonic characteristics basing on the intensity of neutrophil adhesion to SF-pretreated Sephadex granules. Examinations of 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis have detected the lowest complement-dependent opsonization (CDD) in the patients with extraarticular symptoms. CDD showed a tendency to normalization over the course of intraarticular glucocorticoid therapy. No anti-opsonic effects of SF have been recorded. Examinations of 8 synovial exudates from patients with osteoarthrosis deformans have revealed SF CDD much higher than that in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
