[Prognostic significance of serum iron level, hemoglobin and rheumatoid factor titre in rheumatoid arthritis]

On the basis of the results of a five-year examination of the course on 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis the authors adopt a definite attitude to the prognostic significance of hypersiderinaemia, anaemia and height of the titre of the rheumatoid factor. With the help of the chi2-test and the rank correlation after Spearman the statistical relations to stage, activity, clinical and radiological progressing as well as to the number of the affected joints were examined. In seropositive patients we found a correlation of the titre of rheumatoid factor and stage. Furthermore a clear correlation existed to clinical and radiological progressing as well as to the number of the affected joints. Early highly positive titres of the rheumatoid factor as an expression of high immunologic activity suggest an unfavourable prognosis in the majority of cases. Constant anaemia and hyposiderinaemia as symptoms of a high basis activity of the disease also showed close relations to the progressing. From this result indications for the early use of important therapeutic measures. For the prognostic judgement of the course of the disease of rheumatoid arthritis it is necessary to have at disposal further methodically simply determinable parameters for the recognition of the basis activity and the immunologic activity.