COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SERONEGATIVE AND SEROPOSITIVE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS REGARDING SOME EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND ANAMNESTIC CHARACTERISTICS

Authors:

Vjollca Sahatçiu-Meka, Remzi Izairi, Sylejman Rexhep, Suzana Manxhuka-Kerliu

Summary

Classifying patients into two subsets of the disease – seronegative RA and seropositive RA – has been the subject of many studies which aim to clarify this phenomenon – without any conclusive or acceptable answer so far. The aim of this prospective study was to establish a scientific comparative analysis between seronegative and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) regarding some epidemiological and anamnestic characteristics. The studied group consisted of seronegative patients with titers lower than 1:64 as defi ned by Rose-Waaler test, while the control group consisted of seropositive patients with titers of 1:64 or higher. All patients belonged to 2nd and 3rd functional class according to the ARA criteria, were between 25-60 years of age (Xb=49,96), with disease duration between 1-27 years (Xb=6,41). Education, residence, economic and living conditions did not show any significant statistical difference regarding serostatus. Familial clustering of RA confirmed higher susceptibility in the seropositive group (χ2=7,02; p<0,01). In both subsets banal diseases, psychic and physical trauma, weakness, and numbness of hands and legs dominated, without any statistical difference regarding serostatus. Some differences between groups regarding sex were noticed, but were not statistically significant, except regarding physical trauma, which was more present in seronegative females (χ2=8,05; p<0,01).

Sažetak
Klasifikacija bolesnika s reumatoidnim artritisom (RA) u dvije skupine - seronegativni RA i seropozitivni RA - predmet je mnogih dosadašnjih istraživanja. U ovome prospektivnom istraživanju provedena je usporedna analiza seronegativnog i seropozitivnog reumatoidnog artritisa u odnosu na neke epidemiološke i anamnestičke karakteristike. Ispitivanu skupinu činili su bolesnici sa seronegativnim RA s titrom manjim od 1:64 određenim pomoću Waaler-Roseova testa, dok su kontrolnu skupinu činili bolesnici sa seropozitivnim RA s titrom 1:64 ili višim. Svi ispitanici su pripadali II. I III. funkcijskom razredu (ARA), bili su životne dobi između 25-60 godina (Xb=49,96) s trajanjem bolesti 1-27 godina (Xb=6,41). Edukacija, mjesto boravka, ekonomski i životni uvjeti nisu pokazali znatnu statističku razliku u odnosu na serološki status. U bliskih rođaka RA je bio češće prisutan u seropozitivnoj skupini (χ2=7,02; p<0,01). U obje skupine dominirale su tzv. banalne bolesti, psihičke i fizičke traume, malaksalost, ali bez istaknute statističke razlike u odnosu na serološki status. Nađene su određene razlike između skupina u pogledu spola, ali nisu bile statistički značajne, osim kod fizičkih trauma koje su bile češće prisutne u seronegativnih žena (χ2=8,05; p<0,01).

Vol.: 54

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