DETECTION OF RUBELLA, MUMPS, AND MEASLES-VIRUS GENOMIC RNA IN CELLS FROM SYNOVIAL-FLUID AND PERIPHERAL-BLOOD IN EARLY RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Objective. To determine, by studying patients with early rheumatoid ar thritis (RA), whether rubella virus (rubella), mumps virus (mumps). or measles virus (measles) plays a role in the pathogenesis of RA. Metho ds. Polymerase chain reaction combined with reverse transcription was used to detect viral RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or synovial fluid (SF) cells. The patients with RA had newly diagnosed disease (duration less than or equal to 1 year). The controls were pa tients with other arthropathies. Results. Rubella genomic RNA was not detected in SF cells from patients with early RA or from controls, or in PBMC from patients with RA. It was found in PBMC of one of 46 patie nts with other arthropathies. Mumps or measles genomic RNA was detecte d in PBMC samples from 1.8% (1/54) and 9.3% (5/54) of RA, respectively , and from 4.3% (2/46) and 6.5% (3/46) of control patients. The SF cel l samples harbored mumps or measles RNA in 4.8% (2/42) and 7.1% (3/42) of patients with RA, respectively; the corresponding value was 6.5% ( 2/31) for control patients. for both mumps and measles. Conclusion. Ou r findings suggest rubella, mumps, or measles do not play a role in th e etiopathogenesis of RA.