title: [Does seronegative chronic polyarthritis have a special place? Clinical, biochemical and immunogenetic profile of early seronegative seropositive chronic polyarthritis].
abstract: In the framework of an early-diagnosis out-patients clinic 100 patients (mean age 51 years), 82 of them female, were identified as highly suspicious of having chronic rheumatoid arthritis of recent onset (2-12 months). Five or more ARA criteria were present in 77 patients. IgM rheumatic factor was present in serum of 51 patients (latex-fixation test). A Waaler-Rose test of greater than or equal to 32 IU/ml was present in 21. After adjusting for alpha errors, there was a significantly higher prevalence of HLA-DR4 among those seropositive in the latex fixation test (64 vs 29%). A further 19 constitutional, anamnestic, clinical, biochemical and psychosocial criteria failed to reveal any different distribution between seropositive and seronegative cases. Using the specific definition of seropositivity in the Waaler-Rose test eliminated HLA-DR4 differences. The latter did not serve as a distinguishing criterion. There was only a marginal difference between DR4-positive and negative patients. These results fail to lend support to recent views of a special position of seronegative chronic rheumatoid arthritis.
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor
vernacular_title: Sonderstellung der seronegativen chronischen Polyarthritis? Klinisches, biochemisches und immungenetisches Profil der frühen seronegativen und seropositiven chronischen Polyarthritis.