Joint fluid leukocytosis of patient with rheumatoid arthritis Computer analysis of possible explanative factors.

The relationship between joint fluid leukocytosis and some clinical and laboratory parameters (disease duration, ESR, maximal titres of rheumatoid factor and of antinuclear factors, blood leukocytosis and sex) was studied in 27 consecutive patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. The concentration of leukocytes was significantly higher in the synovial fluid than in peripheral blood. Variations of joint fluid leukocytosis could, however, not be explained by disease duration, actual ESR, maximal rheumatoid factor or antinuclear factor titres, concentration of blood leukocytes, or sex. It is suggested that a possible correlation between joint fluid leukocytosis and the listed parameters of rheumatoid arthritis may be too complex for analysis by a linear multiple regression model in samples of the present size.