title: Prevalence of biochemical and immunological abnormalities in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The prevalence of biochemical and immunological abnormalities was studied in a group of 256 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (104 coloureds, 100 whites and 52 blacks). The most common biochemical abnormalities detected were a reduction in the serum creatinine value (43.4%), raised globulins (39.7%), raised serum alkaline phosphatase level (42.3%), reduction in serum albumin value (8.1%), a mild rise in serum creatinine value (6.6%), and a raised serum gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) level (6.5%). The prevalence of a rise in the GGT was less frequent than reported in other published studies. The immunological abnormalities noted were a positive rheumatoid factor (78.9%), positive anti-nuclear factor (36%), raised serum IgG (43.3%) and IgA (10.5%) values, positive smooth-muscle antibody (12.5%) and elevated double-stranded anti-DNA antibody levels (2.3%). Inter-group comparisons showed that the serum IgG and IgA and total globulins were significantly higher in blacks and coloureds than whites; these findings may be related to a higher prevalence of malnutrition and infection in childhood in these communities. There were no significant inter-group differences that could be attributed to rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Mody
authors.forename: O L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Reinach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D044465:White People