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Abstract SUMKARY AND COHCLUSXONS This study was carried on 30 patients attending the out-patient clinic of the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department of Benha University Hospitals. They were classified into two groups : Group A : Consisted of 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed according to the American Rheumatism Association criteria. All the patients presented with knee effusion. , ’They were 10 females (66.7%) and 5 males (33.3%), their ages ranged between 32 and 60 years, with a mean of 43.4 ± 3.55 years. Group B : Consisted of 15 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee diagnosed according to the clinical features and supported by typical radiological changes. All the patients had synovial effusion. They were 8 females (53.3%) and 7 males (46.7%), their ages ranged between 41 and 61 years, with a mean of 52.06 ± 2.79 years. * All the patients were subjected to full history taking and complete clinical examination. * Blood and synovial fluid samples for every patient were obtained in the same day for determination of - E.S.R. - Complete blood picture • -118- - Rh. factor. ’- Plasma and synovial fluid, fibronectin concentrations using radial immunodiffusion technique. The results of the laboratory investigation of our patients were as follow *. The mean concentration of fibronectin in, the synovial fluid of R.A. patients was (39.9±3.l7 mg/dl) and showed a highly significant elevation (P <0.001) when compared •• to the mean plasma fibronectin concentration of the same patients which was (26.5 ±2.75 mg/dl). * The mean concentration of fibronectin in the synovial fluid of O.A. patients was (30.73±3.08 mg/dl) and showed a significant elevation (P <0.05) when compared to the mean plasma fibronectin concentration of the same patients which was (25.4 ±2.39 mg/dl). * The mean concentration of fibronectin in the plasma of R.A. patients showed insignificant differences (P >0.05) when compared to the mean concentration of fibronectin in the plasma of patients with O.A. * The mean concentration of fibronectin in the synovial fluid of R.A. patients showed a highly significant elevation (P <0.001) when compared to the mean concentration of fibronectin in the synovial fluid of patients with O.A. -119- • * The plasma and the in R.A. >0.05) synovial patients with any fluid fibronectin concentrations correlation. (P showed of the insignificant clinical or laboratory parameters. * The plasma fibronectin concentrations in R.A. showed a highly significant correlation (r = 0.9) (P <0.001) with the age of the patients. * The plasma concentrations correlation (P and the synovial fluid in O.A. patients showed >0.05) with any of the fibronectin insignificant clinical or laboratory parameters. - from these results we concluded that : * In rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis there is elevation of fibronectin concentration in the synovial fluid above the plasma level. * Also, because the concentrations of either plasma or synovial fluid fibronectin in R.A. were insignificantly correlated with the inflammatory indices, so they can not be used as indicators of disease activity. |