The importance of skin vessel wall immune deposits in the course of the systemic and articular features of rheumatoid arthritis. A prospective study.
Fifty-one rheumatoid arthritis patients were examined prospectively during a 3-year investigation period by means of immunohistological, histological, and instrumental clinical methods. Skin vessel wall immune deposits (SVWID) were found in 21/51 patients at the first and in 11/35 patients at the concluding investigation. Patients with SVWID showed more extra-articular features, more rapid progress of joint damage, higher mortality frequency, higher inflammatory activity, and higher levels of circulating immune complexes, compared with patients without SVWID.
Division of Rheumatology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, West Germany.
H
H
Mielke
W
W
Daniel
H
H
Deicher
W
W
Drommer
M
M
Fischer
R
R
Fritsch
H
H
Müller-Vahl
G W
GW
Sybrecht
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001706:Biopsy; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000276:immunology*; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology
D003176:Complement C3; D007075:Immunoglobulin M