Article Abstract:
There appear to be several characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that predispose them to developing rheumatoid vasculitis (RV). Researchers compared the medical records of 69 patients with RA that developed RV (study group) against 138 matched patients with only RA (the control group). The study group had higher levels of rheumatoid factor and were more likely to be male as compared to the control group. The study group frequently had conditions other than joint disease including spots of broken blood vessels (56%), nerve damage affecting the sense of touch (20%), and inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart (4%). The control group did not have any of these conditions. A greater percentage of the study group had taken antirheumatic drugs including D-penicillamine, gold, and azathioprine than the control group indicating that the study group may have had more advanced disease. The study group had more joint deterioration and tissue lumps found beneath the skin.
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Article Abstract:
Two antibody tests, latex fixation and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgM, seem to be equally accurate and seem to be more accurate than the ELISA for IgA or IgG. These tests screen patients for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by detecting the presence of antibodies associated with RA. Researchers compared the accuracy and predictability of disease progression using these tests on 1,988 patients with suspected RA. The ELISAs for IgM, IgG, and IgA correctly identified patients with RA 69%, 72%, and 44% of the time, respectively, and correctly identified patients without RA 86%, 84%, and 52% of the time, respectively. The latex fixation test correctly identified patients with RA 65.6% of the time and patients without RA 90.9% of the time. The latex fixation test gave the most accurate prediction rate for advancing disease (83.3%). The ELISA test for IgM was more accurate in younger patients and in men.
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Article Abstract:
Perivascular infiltrates in muscle biopsy specimens may indicate the presence of rheumatoid vasculitis (RV), an inflammatory destruction of blood vessel walls. Researchers compared biopsy specimens from 12 patients with rheumatoid vasculitis, 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and 11 patients with osteoarthritis. Infiltrates of lymphocytes around blood vessels were present in 75% of RV patients and in only 14-18% of patients with the arthritic conditions. The presence of perivascular infiltrates may be a useful diagnostic test for RV.
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