ANURADHA VENUGOPALAN, ARVIND CHOPRA,
SENGUPTA A, SALUJA M, PATIL J
CENTER FOR RHEUMATIC DISEASES, PUNE, INDIA.
Hospital-based studies of Indian patients of RA have
described relatively low RF seropositivity. Population
studies, especially rural, are sparse.
* Partly funded by a seed grant
from APLAR.
Aim
To evaluate the significance of RF in the COPCORD rural
population
Methods
774 cases of rheumatic musculoskeletal (RMS) pains were
identified in Stage I census survey (N = 4092) of the
maiden Indian COPCORD in village
Bhigwan (Pune District) (APLAR J Rheumatol 1997,V1:145-154;
J Rheumatol 2002,V29:614-621).RF was tested by latex
agglutination (cut off positive at ? 80 IU/ML) in 216
patients of polyarthralgias [RA = 27; Unclassifiable
Inflammatory Arthritis(IA-U) = 24; Non-Inflammatory
Arthritis (NIA) = 165 (OA = 65; Soft tissue rheumatism=100)]
and 103 healthy controls (HC) from the village (age
: 25 – 55 yrs.).All patients suspected to be suffering
from inflammatory PA were tested. Patients of RA and
OA were classified as per ACR.
Results
In the RA group (Females=22, Males=5), 11(41%) patients
were seropositive (range:160 – 640 IU/ML; mean :
247 IU/ML). Erosive arthritis was evident in skiagrams
(hands and/or feet) in 13(48%) patients; Only 4 (31%)
were seropositive. 2(1.2%) patients of NIA were seropositive(range
320– 640 IU/ML; mean:453 IU/ML), 4 (3.9%) HC were
seropositive(range : 80 – 160 IU/ML). The specificity
of RF for RA was found to be 100% (versus IA-U); 98% (versus
NIA) and 96% (versus HC).
Conclusions
The low sensitivity of RF (41%) in RA in this rural
COPCORD is consistent with many population surveys from
different parts of the world. The high specificity of
RF in our study is rather reassuring.
CENTER
FOR RHEUMATIC DISEASES (CRD)
Hermes Doctor House, Hermes Elegance,
Convent Street, Camp, Pune – 411 001, Maharashtra, India.
Tel: 020-26348529, 26345624, 26344099
