[Secondary amyloidosis in chronic polyarthritis]

Systemic secondary amyloidosis was a post-mortem finding recorded from 24% of patients with classical chronic polyarthritis. In 80 to 100% of all cases, amyloidosis was present in heart, thyroid gland, kidneys, adrenal gland, pancreas, spleen, and gastro-intestinal canal. It was recordable, in 50 to 70% of all cases, from liver, aorta, lungs, and lymph nodes. Nerves, muscles, skin, and synovial membrane were less often affected (10 to 40% of all cases). No amyloidosis was recorded at all from the brain. Amyloid depositions differed greatly in intensity by organs. The most massive deposits were found in the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, adrenal glands, thyroid gland, and spleen. Amyloid depositions were moderate in heart, pancreas, lungs, and liver. They were extremely low in lymph nodes, muscles, nerves, synovial membrane, and skin. The author assumes amyloid deposition to be associated with increase in arterial or venous concentrations of circulating amyloid precursors. Frequency and intensity of amyloid depositions in different organs may be linked to blood supply to the latter. The higher the minute volume of a given organ, the more strongly pronounced is the amyloidosis in it. In the context of amyloidogenesis, consideration should be given, as well, to locally delimited factors, such as organ motility.