Study of rheumatoid factor in a normal population

Abstract

with the technical assistance of NELLIE CURRY Five thousand four hundred and sixtyone normal individuals were tested for rheumatoid factor. The latex slide test was positive in 4.1 per cent SHC in 2.4 per cent and SSC in 0.18 per cent. There was no positive correlation of presence of rheumatoid factor and race or sex, but all tests increased in positivity with age. Physical examinations of individuals with at least one test positive for rheumatoid factor showed 5.4 per cent had possible or definite rheumatoid arthritis.Cinque milles quatro centos e sexantaun subjectos normal esseva testate pro factor rheurnatoidee. Le test de latex a lamina esseva positive in 4,l pro cento, le test de SHC esseva positive in 2,4 pro cento, e le test de SSC esseva positive in 0,18 pro cento. Esseva trovate nulle correlation positive inter le presentia de factor rheumatoidee e le racia o le sex0 del subjectos, sed omne le tests monstrava un augmento del incidentia de positivitate in parallela con le augmento del etate del subjectos. Le examine physic del subjectos con positivitate in a1 minus un del tests pro factor rheumatoidee monstrava que 5,4 pro cento habeva definite o possibile arthritis rheumatoidee. HE HIGH DEGREE of sensitivity (latex1 and sensitized human cell2)T and specificity (senbitized sheep cel13p10) of the presently available tests for detecting rheumatoid factor have made them one of the most widely used and satisfactory parameters for the detection of unidentified rheumatoid arthritis in the normal This study was undertaken to try to determine the iricidence of the rheumatoid factor id normal individuals and the circumstances which may have influenced its occurrence. Five thousand four hundred and sixty-one normal individuals were studied and 2,712 of these were compared with 73 patients with degenerative arthritis and 68 patients with non-rheumatic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Normal PopulationOur study population is comprised of five groups of individuals: (1.) 3,335 blood donors (2.) 1,808 pregnant women, (3.) 120 applicants for employment at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital, (4.) a group of 116 executives, and ( 5 . ) 84 individuals resident in a local home for the aged. Except for the executive group, both Negroes and Whites are represented in each group. There was a total of 2,214 Negroes and 3,247 Whites.

Rheumatoid factor (antigammaglobulin) in women. Effects of oral contraceptive use on its prevalence

“…The interval for retesting was shorter in the present subjects, averaging 16 months. Because over a span of time the prevalence of rheumatoid factor in a positive cohort tends to decline, A rheumatoid disease r a t e of 5.4% among those having a positive test for rheumatoid factor is virtually the same as previously reported (19). A l t h o u g h nonusers had a disease rate almost four times greater t h a n OC users, n o conclusions can be d r a w n regarding this difference because of the possibility of selection bias.…”

An automated test for rheumatoid factor

“…The automated procedure was reactive with less than 2% of the "normal" specimens-a value similar to the latex test findings (10). Comparative results were identical with all samples containing antinuclear antibody, and with 70 of 72 specimens containing syphilis antibody.…”

“…T h e serologic test r e s u h reported in this paper were ohtained with FII-C suspensions containing 5 mg FII and 0.25 mg C/ml. Preparations of 10 mg FII/ml were stored overnight a t 5" C and then heated 1 hr at 63" C. Five volumes were added to 1 volume of charcoal; the mixture was stirred 30 min, and 4 volumes of glycine buffer were added. Suspensions were stored at 5" C. Serum samples and FII-C were conihinetl and mixed; diluent saline was added, and the reagents were mixed a second time.…”

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis Occurring Together- A Case Report

“…An extremely useful clinical point of distinction between the two diseases is absence of rheumatoid nodules in ankylosing spondylitis 13,14 . Although HLA -B27 and RA factor provide sensitive disease markers but these are nonspecific and they may be present in apparently normal individuals and in other disease states [15][16][17][18][19] Atypical varieties of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis may create diagnostic confusion; sacroiliitis complicates rheumatoid arthritis in 20% of patients [20][21] and a peripheral arthropathy is present in 50% of spondylitis 22 . Radiography is especially useful in such atypical cases, since subtle, but distinctive differences exist between the two entities in their appearances and distribution.…”