[Importance of determining the beta2-microglobulin level in biological fluids in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

The level of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) in blood and urine was measured in 97 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In 42 of them, the measurements were made in the synovial fluid. The level of beta 2-MG was found to depend on the process activity, the magnitude of the articular count, and on the disease duration. It was shown that the drug treatment pattern influenced the content of beta 2-MG in blood, urine and synovial fluid. In 12 out of the 97 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the measurement of beta 2-MG in blood and urine made it possible to determine the involvement of the kidneys into the pathological process.