THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMPLEX OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN A AND ALPHA-1-ANTITRYPSIN, ITS CONSTITUENT COMPONENTS AND THE ACUTE-PHASE RESPONSE AS MEASURED BY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TREATED WITH GOLD OR D-PENICILLAMINE

Abstract
Serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), α1 (AT), their complex (IgA-α1AT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured prior to treatment and at 6 months, in 45 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Twenty-five patients were treated with D-penicillamine (DPA) and 20 patients with gold (sodium aurothiomalate). The level of circulating complex was reduced by both treatments (p1AT complex and serum IgA (p1AT complex in RA is dependent on the level of IgA. The complex is reduced by gold and DPA but it does not reflect an acute phase response as measured by CRP.