Adenosine deaminase and C-reactive protein in diagnosing and monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: To determine of catalytic activities of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and values of C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration in serums of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who were and were not treated with Methotrexate (MTX), and identifying the possibilities of using these biochemical parameters in diagnosing and monitoring of treatment effects in RA.

Methods: The study involved 120 subjects (60 healthy ones, who are in accordance with examined groups concerning age and sex, 30 suffering from RA who were not treated with MTX and 30 suffering from RA who were treated by MTX). Catalytic activities of ADA in serum were determined by spectrophotometric method using adenosine as a substrate. CRP concentrations in serum were determined immunoturbidimetrically.

Results: A statistically significant correlation between values of ADA catalytic activities and values of CRP concentrations (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) in serums of subjects with RA without MTX treatment. At subjects with RA treated by MTX, correlation between values of ADA catalytic activities and values of CRP concentrations in serums was not statistically significant (r = 0.33, p > 0.01).

Conclusion: Study results have shown that ADA catalytic activity in serum can be a useful biochemical marker of inflammatory process in RA.