title: [Immunological aspects of early stage rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study immune status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to improve immunodiagnosis at early stage of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunological examination covered 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) aged 16 to 72 years. The duration of RA varied from 1.5 months to 1.5 years. Lymphocyte population and T-lymphocyte subpopulation were measured using monoclonal antibodies. Serum Ig were measured in Reafarm plates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with stage II articular function insufficiency (AFI) demonstrated a significant lowering of the absolute number of lymphocytes, natural killers, elevated concentration of IgA compared to patients with less severe AFI. Patients with systemic symptoms had significantly decreased percentage of T-lymphocytes vs patients with isolated articular syndrome. Natural killers' levels were elevated in all the patients in early RA. A significant rise in the percentage of B-lymphocytes and serum IgG concentrations were also seen. In T-lymphopenia, relative amount of T-helpers and T-suppressors was significantly elevated while the ratio T-helpers/T-suppressors was reduced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes found in the immune status allows diagnosis of early RA, characterize immune disorders, help to select adequate immunomodulating therapy supporting function of the suppressor cells.
authors: V T
authors: VT
authors: Timofeev
authors: N A
authors: NA
authors: Shostak
authors: T K
authors: TK
authors: Loginova
authors: A A
authors: AA
authors: Muradiants
authors: N M
authors: NM
authors: Shvyreva
authors: Iu V
authors: IuV
authors: Dunaeva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G