[Heridity of progressive chronic polyarthritis - study of the course]

In an analytic epidemiological study 30 relations of patients with progressive chronic polyarthritis with positive rheumatoid factor and 127 relations with negative rheumatoid factor were after-examined concerning their clinical and serological behaviour 6 years after the primary recognition with the aim of an evidence concerning the hypothesis of an hereditary causal factor in progressive chronic polyarthritis. It was revealed that only in 14 of 30 persons with positive primary rheumatoid factor the rheumatoid factor could further be proved, on the other hand 14 relations who had at first a negative rheumatoid factor now, however, reacted with a positive rheumatoid factor. It could be confirmed, that the seropositive forms of the progressive chronic polyarthritis have a stronger hereditary trend to the formation of the rheumatoid factor than the seronegativeones and that after the 50th year of life there exists a significant persistence of the seropositivity. In the group of relations who were seropositive 6 years ago developed a definitive and probable progressive chronic polyarthritis each as well as a further probable progressive chronic polyarthritis in the group of relations who became seropositive only in the period of observation. On account of the changing seropositivity and the only rare appearance of a progressive chronic polyarthritis on the basis of this investigation of hypothesis of the rheumatoid factor as first (premorbid) symptom of a progressive chronic polyarthritis is to be refused.