title: Rheumatoid factor and HLA antigens in wrist tenosynovitis and humeral epicondylitis.
abstract: A matched case-referent study was undertaken to assess whether rheumatoid factor (RF) is associated with repeating tenosynovitis or peritendinitis and whether HLA-B27 predisposes to epicondylitis. The study subjects consisted of 25 workers in manually strenuous jobs with a history of at least two episodes of tenosynovitis or peritendinitis in the wrist or forearm, or humeral epicondylitis, and their matched referents. The latex agglutination test was positive in seven of the 23 cases with tenosynovitis and in one of the referents (p = 0.03). The corresponding figures for IgM-RF by enzyme immunoassay were ten and two, respectively (p = 0.008). HLA-B27 antigen was found in five of the 13 workers with epicondylitis and in one worker with no such history (p = 0.13). It is possible that RF-positive repeating tenosynovitis represents an incomplete form of rheumatoid disease.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malmivaara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viikari-Juntura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huuskonen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aho
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kivi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koskimies
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuosma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurppa
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000150:complications; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008297:Male; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood*; D013716:Tennis Elbow / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013717:Tenosynovitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D014955:Wrist Joint
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor