Alpha-2-macroglobulin in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis

Aim. To study concentrations of alpha-2-macroglobulin (A-2-MG) in blood ser um and synovial fluid (SF) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and formul ation of basic clinical, laboratory and x-ray criteria of RA activity. Materials and methods. A-2-MG levels were measured in the serum and SF from 151 RA patients and in the serum of 20 patients with osteoarthrosis (OA) a nd 62 healthy donors. The serum concentration for RA patients was 166+/-65. 3 mg%, for OA patients - 175.26+/-36.99 mg% and for healthy donors - 177.77 2+/-50 mg%. Mean concentration of SF A-2-MG in RA patients was 98.77+/-82.4 3 mg%. Conclusion. Changes in the concentration of A-2-MG are unrelated to inflamm ation activity in the joints of RA and OA patients. Serum and synovial conc entration of this protein corresponds to changes in the concentration of Ig M and rheumatoid factors in RA patients.