Evaluation of the activity of rheumatoid arthritis. A comparative study on clinical symptoms and laboratory tests with special reference to serum sulfhydryl groups.

In the present investigation the significance of various clinical and laboratory examinations (especially the S-SH-group level) in the evaluation of the activity of RA was assessed. The material comprised 140 patients with RA and 360 control patients or healthy control persons. The principal results can be summarized as follows: 1. Patients with RA have a decreased S-SH-group level, more decreased in patients with active disease. Also a change in the activity of RA is correspondingly followed by a change in the S-SH-group level. The S-SH-group level diminishes significantly with the advance of age also in healthy persons. These findings and the possible role of the S-SH-groups in the pathogenetic process of RA are discussed. 2. Highly significantly with Lansbury's activity index correlated the S-SH-groups, B-Platelets, S-Fe, B-Hb and patient's own assessment of the disease; and significantly correlated S-Haptoglobin, S-TIBC and Te-index. A summary of the correlations between some parameters studied is presented in Table LI. 3. As a result, an activity index based on six laboratory tests (ESR, B-Platelets, S-Fe, S-Haptoglobin, S-SH-groups, Te-index) is proposed for the estimation of the activity of RA.