Original scientific paper

Laboratory examination of seronegative and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis

Vjollca Sahatçiu-Meka ; Physical Medicine Department, Clinic for Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo
Anton Kukeli ; Private Internal and Reumatology Clinic “Albi-med”, Peja, Kosovo

Abstract

In response to the continuing debate whether seronegative and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are parts of the same disease spectrum or are distinct disorders, we performed a comparative analysis of some laboratory characteristics. The test group consisted of 125 seronegative RA (93 female, 32 male), with titers lower than 1/64 as defined by Rose-Waaler test. The control group consisted of 125 seropositive RA patients (93 female, 32 male), with titers of 1/64 or higher. Patients all belonged to the 2nd and 3rd functional classes (ARA), and were between 25-60 years of age. The duration of the disease was 1-27 years. Elevated average values of erythrosedimentation (ERS), C-reactive protein (PCR) and erythrocytes (Er) were found in seropositive patients, but they did not present statistically significant difference with regard to sero-status. Reduced values of hemoglobin (Hb) were found more frequently in seropositive patients (t=2.26, p<0.05), especially female seropositive patients (t=4.38, p<0.01), without correlation to disability and duration of the disease. Statistically significant difference was found in average values of fibrinogen in the seropositive subset (t=2.10, p<0.05), especially in female seropositive patients (t=2.65, p<0.01), and in average values of leukocytes (t=1.37, p<0.05) among male seropositive patients. Elevated immunoglobulin (IgM) values were more prominent in the seropositive subset (χ2=47.6, p<0.01), especially among seropositive females (χ2=35.68, p<0.01). Values of IgA and IgG did not present statistically significant difference with regard to sero-status. Levels of C3 and C4 components of the complement were reduced in seropositive tested subjects, without significant difference between sero-subsets. Increased values of gamma-globulin were confirmed with statistical significance (χ2=3.39, p<0.05) in seropositive subjects, while alpha-2 globulin values were nearly equally distributed in both subsets.

Keywords

rheumatoid arthritis; seropositive; seronegative; laboratory analysis

Hrčak ID:

124780

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/124780

Publication date:

1.7.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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