An evaluation of the effect of differing lengths of spa therapy upon patients with osteoarthritis (OA).

The use of spa therapy in Estonia commonly consists of courses up to 3-4 weeks in duration for the management of rheumatic diseases. This study sought to evaluate whether there was any difference in the alleviation of patients symptoms between 6 and 12 day courses of spa therapy in the management of osteoarthritis (OA). A total of 296 patients participated in the research.

Correlation of serum IgA rheumatoid factor levels with disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis.

In the present study, the IgA rheumatoid factor (IgA RF) was assayed by ELISA in 114 sera of patients with active RA. IgA RF was found in the sera of 38 (33.3%) patients.

[The detection of secondary amyloidosis in rheumatoid arthritis by aspiration biopsy of the subcutaneous fatty tissue].

81 rheumatoid arthritis patients were regularly and periodically examined in rheumatological department of Tartu University Clinic. Depending on the presence of amyloid in subcutaneous fat biopsies the patients were divided into two comparable groups: amyloid-positive (group 1 of 22 patients) and amyloid-negative (group 2 of 59 patients). Between the groups some differences were found: group 1 patients had more active and severe course of rheumatoid arthritis and higher level of rheumatoid factor and circulating immune complexes in the sera.

[Periodicity and seasonal variations in the incidence of rheumatism and their relation to various exogenous biorhythms].

The nature of the relationship between rheumatic fever morbidity on some islands in the Estonian SSR and certain heliogeophysical factors was studied over the 25-year period (1958-1983). Altogether 923 patients with rheumatic fever at the active stage were followed up. Periodicity of an increase (every 5-6 yrs) in the number of patients with active rheumatic fever was noted.

[Determination of the risk factors, their characteristics and the nature of the reporting in the primary and secondary prevention of rheumatism].

Basing on the results of a long-term prospective study (1960-1984) of 1310 patients with rheumatic fever and previous investigations the authors have singled out syndromes and complexes of risk factors of primary morbidity, recurrence and different outcomes of rheumatic fever. The main syndromes of risk factors of primary morbidity of rheumatic fever are chronic focal infection, everyday, age-sex and genetic factors, those of recurrences, the above factors and insufficient secondary prevention.