[Post-respiratory infection reactive arthritis--etiology, clinical and laboratory characteristics and early prognosis]. / Postrespiratornyi reaktivnyi artrit--étiologiia, kliniko-laboratornaia khrakteristika i rannii prognoz.

AIM: To study etiology, clinico-laboratory characteristics and early prognosis of reactive arthritis developing after respiratory infections (priReA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Blood samples from 69 priReA patients aged 17-45 years were examined for specific antibodies to 28 bacterial and viral infectious agents, and antigens of group HLA-B7-CREG (B7, B13, B22, B27, B40, B73, Cw2). The test were made in hospital and 3 months after the patients' discharge. RESULTS: The priReA respiratory etiology was discovered in 31 patients, urogenital--in 14 cases and enterocolitic one--in 7 patients. Streptococcus and pneumoneal chlamydia cause priReA most frequently. HLA-B40 carriers are more predisposed to priReA. priReA runs with less frequent Reiter's syndrome and lesions of axial and extraarticular structures, better early prognosis. CONCLUSION: In young patients with early ReA respiratory etiology is observed more frequently than urogenital and enterocolitic ones. Compared to other kinds of ReA, priReA demonstrates some genetic, clinical and prognostic peculiarities.

[Computed tomography in the diagnosis of the spondylarthritic syndrome]. / Kompiuturnata tomografiia v diagnostikata na spondilartritniia sindrom.

45 patients, mean age 22.7 +/- 6.3 years, with spondylarthritic syndrome of mean duration of 3.0 +/- 3.4 years, were examined by computed tomography and ordinary roentgenography of the sacroiliac joints. The roentgenograms of 4 patients fulfilled the Rome diagnostic criteria for ankylosing spondylarthritis against 9 patients examined by computed tomography. The data for a probable form were 9 and 10 respectively. Sacroiliitis [correction of Sacroileitis] not fulfilling these criteria for spondylarthritis was found in 13 patients by ordinary roentgenography and in 12 patients by computed tomography. Concerning the sacroiliac joints the computed tomography seems a more sensitive method than the ordinary roentgenography. The computed tomography discovers a greater number of changes and gives a better image.