The electrophoretic distribution of proteins in plasma in rheumatoid arthritis

In vivo effects of aurothioglucose and sodium thioglucose on rat tissue sulfhydryl levels and plasma sulfhydryl reactivity

The active component of aurothioglucose (ATG) in effecting changes in plasma sulfhydryl (SH) levels and plasma SH reactivity with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) was determined. These two measurements are applied clinically to rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing chrysotherapy. Normal rats were injected intramuscularly daily for seven days with 30 mumol of either ATG or sodium thioglucose (STG)/kg body wt or with an equivalent volume of the carrier, 0.05% benzyl alcohol. ATG but not STG significantly increased total SH levels in plasma, liver, and kidney. The seven-day treatment with ATG significantly increased glutathione levels in kidney but not in liver or plasma. Thus, gold(I) rather than thioglucose was the active moiety that affected SH levels in ATG-injected rats. In vivo, gold(I) was also the active moiety that stimulated plasma SH reactions with DTNB at pH 7.4, since injection of ATG but not STG stimulated the SH reactivity in fresh plasma. In vitro, ATG increased the rate of plasma reaction with DTNB at pH 7.4, thus, gold(I) ions acted as a catalyst in the SH-disulfide exchange reaction. This study demonstrates that gold(I) but not its thiol ligand strongly interacts with protein SH groups in the rat tissues. Such an interaction may play an important role in the biological actions of gold.

Protein binding of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in plasma and synovial fluid of arthritic patients

1 The protein binding of seven non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, tolmetin, salicylic acid, ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, naproxen and GP53,633) and warfarin was investigated by equilibrium dialysis in simultaneous samples of synovial fluid and plasma from 12 arthritic patients. 2 The protein binding of all drugs studied except warfarin and flurbiprofen was significantly lower in synovial fluid than in plasma. 3 The decreased protein binding of these drugs is likely to explain the lower total drug concentrations found in synovial fluid in comparison to plasma. 4 The lower albumin concentration plays an important role in determination of reduced drug binding in synovial fluid compared to plasma and the fatty acid concentration in synovial fluid may also influence the protein binding of some of these drugs.

Clinical responses during gold therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Changes in synovitis, radiologically detectable erosive lesions, serum proteins, and serologic abnormalities

Gold therapy given to 73 patients with rheumatoid arthritis was associated with remission of synovitis for 3 months or longer in 27 patients and 50% or greater improvement in 20 patients. New joint deformities did not develop in patients who experienced remission, and progression of radiologically detectable erosive changes was prevented. Serum protein and serologic abnormalities were improved in all groups, but patients who had a good response experienced the greatest improvement. No single clinical or laboratory feature in the pretreatment assessment predicted response, but, as a group, the patients with the best response also ranked best for most prognostic indicators.

Altered thiol status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The thiol status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is significantly different from that of controls. Plasma thiol levels are lower, albumin thiol reactivity is altered and intracellular thiol levels measured after hemoglobin precipitation are increased. These variations correlate with other indices of disease severity and are one measure of a disturbance in the degree of oxidation of the blood. Penicillamine, in common with other effective therapeutic agents, produces an increase in serum thiol concentration. It causes a greater effect on serum thiol reactivity than other drugs and in particular it increases 'fast reacting' thiol levels without significantly altering the 'slow reacting' thiol level.

Serum sulfhydryl levels in rheumatoid patients treated with gold thiomalate and penicillamine

Twenty-six patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with sodium aurothiomalate (16 patients) and penicillamine (10 patients) for 9 months. During both treatment periods the content of serum sulfhydryl groups increased and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor titre and number of swollen joints decreased.

Changes in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum proteins during experimentally produced erysipelatous arthritis in swine

The changes in the percentage of serum proteins and erythrocyte sedimentation rates in 14 swine given weekly injections of Erysipelothrix insidiosa or other antigens were studied. A sharp rise in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and in the percentage of alpha globulin occurred at the seventh day after the first injection in seven of the eight pigs which received the viable cultures. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate and percentage of alpha globulin then returned to normal. Later, as arthritis developed, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate again increased, but this time the increased rate was accompanied by an increase in the percentage of gamma globulin. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate and percentage of serum proteins remained virtually unchanged in the three animals which were given dead erysipelas organisms and in the three animals which were given culture medium alone.

Levels of serum immunoglobulins in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

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Occurrence of antibody to salivary duct epithelium in Sjogren's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other arthritides. A clinical and laboratory study

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C-reactive protein in virus infection

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An attempt has been made to correct cerebral hypertension induced by direct compression of the brain in a group of six dogs. The animals, which had been previously fitted with an inflatable subdural rubber balloon, were either kept eupneic (isolated mechanical hypertension) or deliberately hypoventilated (mixed mechanical and acidotic hypertension). In the first instance, administration of urea brought the intracranial pressure back to control values while, in the second case, injection of an amine buffer controlled only the acidotic component of intracranial hypertension.

Hyperglobulinaemia in rheumatoid arthritis; its relationship with disease activity and its changes under adrenocortical treatment

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Plasma proteins and cryoglobulins in an arthritic rheumatoid disease

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