Antigenic spectrum of soluble serum glycoproteins in rheumatoid arthritis

Compared with healthy controls, rheumatoid arthritis patients were found to have higher serum (1 M) perchlorate filtrate (CHLF) levels of alpha-antitrypsin. In addition to orosomucoid, alpha2-HS-glycoprotein, haptoglobin, haemopexin and beta2-glycoprotein, the filtrate also contains detectable amounts of albumin, prealbumin and - in patients with high serum glycoprotein levels - also IgA. Serum sulphosalicylate filtrate (SF) contains chiefly orosomucoid, together with alpha1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, haemopexin and beta2-glycoprotein. CHLF contains larger amounts of glycoprotein than SF. The glycoproteins of CHLF correlate with the patient's synovitis, while a high SF glycoprotein content, as estimated by the polarographic activity of the sulphydryl groups, tends to be indicative of visceral complications of RA.