title: Pregnancy-associated alpha 2-glycoprotein (alpha 2-PAG) and various acute phase reactants in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
abstract: Pregnancy-associated alpha 2-glycoprotein (alpha 2-PAG) concentrations have been measured in matched sera and synovial fluid samples obtained from 36 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 10 patients with osteoarthritis. Levels of alpha 2-PAG in serum and synovial fluid were significantly higher in rheumatoid arthritis than in osteoarthritis. Calculation of the synovial fluid/serum ratios for alpha 2-PAG gave results which are explicable only if this protein were being synthesised locally. In a longitudinal study of 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, concentrations of alpha 2-PAG did not reflect disease activity, unlike those of the classical acute phase reactants, C-reactive protein and caeruloplasmin.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011257:Pregnancy Proteins