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.
Mielke
H
H
Division of Rheumatology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, West Germany.
Daniel
W
W
Deicher
H
H
Drommer
W
W
Fischer
M
M
Fritsch
R
R
Müller-Vahl
H
H
Sybrecht
G W
GW
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