[Alpha-2 macroglobulin in serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis].

Aim: To study concentrations of alpha-2-macroglobulin (A-2-MG) in blood serum and synovial fluid (SF) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and formulation of basic clinical, laboratory and x-ray criteria of RA activity.

Materials And Methods: A-2-MG levels were measured in the serum and SF from 151 RA patients and in the serum of 20 patients with osteoarthrosis (OA) and 62 healthy donors. The serum concentration for RA patients was 166 +/- 65.

[The effect of D-penicillamine on the immunological indices of rheumatoid arthritis patients].

In 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis the action of D-penicilamine (Cuprenyl) on the following indices was studied: IgG, IgA, IgM, circulating immune complexes (CIC), rheumatoid factor titer (RF), T- and B-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. The action on some clinico-laboratory indices was also studied--joint index, duration of morning stiffness, erythrocytes sedimentation rate. The results reveal that the D-penicilamine treatment leads to a lowering of the immunoglobulins, circulating immune complexes and rheumatoid factor titer which is most expressed between the 3 and 6 month from the beginning of the treatment.

[Study of the HLA system in rheumatoid arthritis].

A statistically significant, after correction of P value, increased incidence of the antigen HLA-DR4 chi 2 = 32.81, p less than 0.001, was established in the comparison of the antigen incidence of HLA-A, B, C and DR antigens in 59 patients with classical and positive rheumatoid arthritis and control healthy subjects.

[CH50, C3 and C4 in the serum and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients].

The total hemolytic complement (CH50) was studied in the serum of 54 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in the synovia of 30 of them. The C3 complement fraction was examined in the serum of 49 patients and in the synovia of 30 patients. The C4 complement serum-fraction was examined in 42 patients and in the synovia of 30 patients.