Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0003873 (rheumatoid arthritis)
 53,068 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Several immuno-pathological aspects of polyarthritis following experimental infection with erysipelas in pigs were studied for two years. Aseptic and specifically pathogenfree animals were infected subcutaneously and intravenously-intraarticularly with living erysipeals bacteria (erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae) of serotype B. After an initial febrile phase a progressive polyarthritis and disco-spondylitis developed. Some animals also developed thrombo-endocarditis. Hypergammaglobulinemia and high titers of specific antibodies were observed during the whole experimental period. Antiglobulin factors, however, were not detected in the serum or the synovium. In some animals collagen antibodies were demonstrated in synovial tissue. Bacterial examination of the synovium showed that erysipelas bacteria were present in arthritic joints for months. Living erysipelas bacteria were isolated 24 months after the experimental infection from synovial tissue of two pigs. The polyarthritis was characterised by exudates rich in fibrin, villous proliferation, pannus formation, cartilage erosions, and peri-articular fibrosis. IgG and specific erysipelas antibodies were demonstrated in plasma cells from synovial tissue by immuno-histological methods. The findings emphasize the morphological resemblance of the erysipelas induced chronic polyarthritis in pigs to human rheumatoid arthritis.
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PMID:[Immunopathology and pathogenesis of chronic erysipelas polyarthritis of swine]. 95 90

Human polymorphonuclear leucocytes were obtained from the synovial fluids of patients with inflamed knee joints suffering either from Reiter's syndrome or from rheumatoid arthritis. The polymorphonuclear leucocytes were collected by gentle centrifugation followed by disruption and their subcellular fractionation by centrifugation in 0.34 M sucrose to provide a granule fraction and a post-granule supernatant fraction. 0.5 M KCl extraction of the granule fraction yielded neutral protease activity, similar to trypsin, when assayed against fluorescein-labelled polymeric collagen fibrils. The post-granule supernatant fraction contained an inhibitor towards the neutral protease and trypsin. The inhibition of the neutral protease was found to be time-dependent, this inhibition being released after 1.5-2 h. In contrast, the inhibition of trypsin was irreversible and this property was used to devise an assay procedure for the inhibitor.
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PMID:Human-polymorphonuclear-leucocyte neutral protease and its inhibitor. Studies with fluorescein-labelled polymeric collagen fibrils as a substrate. 96 37

The clinical and radiological features in 100 patients with collagen diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sclerodermia, dermatomyositis, and panarteritis nodosa) were compared with respiratory performance. 56 patients were drawn from the series of Pende et Al. and 44 from a personal series. The results are set out in tables and graphs. It was found that lung lesions due to collagen disease have no special clinical and radiological features. Respiratory performance is that of a restrictive syndrome that gradually progresses from A.R. to E.S., S. and P.M., accompanied by obstruction of the large airways, as shown by hyperinsufflation in sclerodermia and reduced specific conductance in rheumatoid arthritis.
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PMID:[Clinico-radiological and functional aspects of respiratory syndromes caused by collagen diseases]. 99 94

Of 173 patients, mostly suffering from collagen diseases and rheumatoid disease, the HBs antigen (HBsAg) was present in 1.73%. This figure is no higher than that observed among blood donors from the same area (Naples and surroundings). One HBsAg positive patient suffered from chronic active hepatitis and rheumatoid arthritis; another from chronic active hepatitis and a secondary type of reticuloendotheliosis; the third was one of seven patients with psoriatic arthritis. HBsAg was not found in any of 48 patients with other collagen diseases, including 22 patients with Progressive Systemic Sclerosis. These data do not support the hypothesis based on observations of polyarteritis nodosa that HBsAg plays an ethiopathogenetic role in collagen diseases with serious vasculitis.
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PMID:[Distribution of HBs-(Australia) antigen in progressive systemic scleroderma and other connective tissue disorders]. 100 36

Thirteen patients, aged 27 to 70 years, with definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis were treated with penicillamine for six months. Skin biopsies and blood samples were compared with a clinical evaluation before and after therapy. The analyses of the skin included determinations of total collagen, thermal reaction of collagen, salt soluble collagen, in vitro uptake of 14C-proline and synthesis of 14C-hydroxyproline, as well as determinations of nucleic acids and proteoglycans. Serum concentrations of acute phase reactants, immunoglobulins, complement C3 and C4, rheumatoid factor, and iron, copper, and zinc were also determined. A positive correlation was found between clinical improvement and a fall in the number of granulocytes, a decrease in the concentration of acute phase reactants and serum copper, and an increase in salt soluble collagen of the skin. The total skin collagen decreased during treatment with penicillamine. The changes in skin collagen may reflect a generalized effect of penicillamine on collagen. These alterations may be part of an anti-inflammatory action of penicillamine.
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PMID:Penicillamine in rheumatoid arthritis. Connective tissue changes and alterations in serum copper and phase reactants in relation to clinical improvement. 102 70

A prospective cineradiographic and manometric study of pharyngeal and esophageal dysfunction was performed in 54 patients with rigidly defined scleroderma, polymyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Cineradiography was inaccurate in pharyngeal dysfunctions specific for polymyositis. Manometry was an accurate but insensitive test. Manometry was also significantly more accurate than cineradiography in identifying patients with smooth muscle dysfunction (scleroderma). Cineradiographic finding of absent esophageal peristalsis accurately identified patients with scleroderma but it identified only a small percentage (33 percent). Cineradiography finding of diminished esophageal peristalsis was found in scleroderma (23 percent), polymyositis, (30 percent), and SLE (11 percent) and has been reported in rheumatoid arthritis. This finding is a non specific finding suggestive of collagen vascular disease rather than specific for scleroderms.
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PMID:The esophagus in collagen disease. Radiologic findings. 102 57

In a study performed to define the prevalence of false positive toxoplasma IgM-IFA test results in sera containing RF, 8 (19.5%) of 41 sera which were positive for RF were positive in the toxoplasma DT and conventional toxoplasma IFA test. Three of these eight were also positive in the toxoplasma IgM-IFA test and in two, the results were considered to be false positives. Of the 33 sera remaining which were positive for RF but negative in both the DT and conventional IFA test, three were positive in the toxoplasma IgM-IFA test. Of 51 sera from patients with suspected rheumatoid arthritis or other collagen vascular disorders, all of which were negative when tested for RF, none was positive for toxoplasma IgM antibodies in the IgM-IFA test. Sera from 15 adults with the acute lymphadenopathic form of toxoplasmosis and 13 infants with congenital toxoplasmosis were tested for the presence of RF. Whereas none of the sera from the acquired cases had demonstrable RF, two of the congenital cases had RF, and their titers were both 1:320. False positive IgM-IFA test results became negative after treatment of sera with heat-aggregated IgG. In contrast, IgM-IFA test titers in cases of acute congenital or acquired toxoplasmosis were unaffected by this treatment. Thus, treatment with heat-aggregated IgG can be used to differentiate false positive IgM-IFA test titers due to RF from those due to specific IgM toxoplasma antibody.
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PMID:Method for differentiation of nonspecific from specfic toxoplasma IgM fluorescent antibodies in patients with rheumatoid factor. 109

The recent demonstration of ultramicroscopic "virus-like" cell inclusions in various organs in patients with collagen and autoimmune diseases suggest that viruses may play an aetiological role in these diseases. This paper reports briefly on some of the evidence for such "virus-like" structures in different cells of the synovial membrane from two patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The inclusions were localised in the vaculoes of the endoplasmatic reticulum of endothelial cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts and perithelial cells. They appear as tubular bodies of approximately 250 A. diameter. The tubules join together so that they form a 3-dimensional network. The possible viral or non-viral nature of these inclusions is discussed. A ultramicroscopical resemblance to the RNA-containing paramyxo-viruses suggests their virus nature. However, the negative results in testing with serum antibodies and immunofluorescence techniques argue against this. The authors suggest that the demonstration of these inclusions in other than collagen diseases points more in the direction of the correlation of these inclusions with immune globulin synthesis rather than the presence of a virus.
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PMID:[Electron-microscopic demonstration of virus-like structures in the synovial membrane in chronic progressive polyarthritis]. 109 64

Serum, synovial fluid and synovial fluid cells of 14 patients with classic rheumatoid arthritis and of 5 controls were investigated serologically in regard to rheumatoid factors and collagen antibodies and by immunofluorescence double staining in regard to localization of collagen and gammaglobulin in fluid cells. Three patterns of staining were observed: a) gammaglobulin inclusions, b) gammaglobulin and collagen in identical localization, c) collagen inclusions. While distinct staining for gammaglobulin appeared only in seropositive cases, collagen inclusions were only observed in RA, however in seropositive and seronegative cases. In 5 RA cases collagen and gammaglobulin were demonstrated additionally in such identical localization that conclusion in regard to collagen-anticollagen immune complexes seems justified. 9 of 14 RA cases had collagen antibodies, all cases were collagen antibody positive which had collagen and gammaglobulin in identical localization in same inclusions.
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PMID:Collagen antibodies and collagen- anticollagen immune complexes in rheumatoid arthritis. 110 3

The biosynthesis and metabolism of collagen are complex processes and are regulated by different enzyme systems. In theory these processes can be influenced at a number of different stages. The therapeutic prevention of excessive collagen and fibril synthesis is a desirable aim, although there is a lack of substances suitable for this purpose. One substance employed is D-penicillamine (D-PA), which blocks aldehyde condensation, inhibits the cross-linking of the peptide chains and the formation of collagen fibrils. Other characteristics of D-PA which are of therapeutic interest are chelate formation with heavy metals and the depolymerizing action on macroglobulins. D-PA may possibly by of some value in the chemotherapy of certain tumours and for sensitizing tumour cells to irradiation. It remains to be investigated whether D-PA or similar substances could be of therapeutic value in arteriosclerosis, in which an increased deposition of collagen in the basal membranes is the fundamental process. The successful therapeutic use of D-PA in rheumatoid arthritis and chronic active cirrhoses of the liver justifies the hope that this substance may favourably influence disorders of collagen metabolism.
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PMID:[Biosynthesis of collagen and mode of action of D-penicillamine (author's transl)]. 113 72


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