ANTIBODIES TO EB VIRUS-INDUCED AND CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INDUCED ANTIGENS IN EARLY RHEUMATOID DISEASE

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (2) , 341-346
Abstract
Early rheumatoid arthritis patients were identified in a group of people, presenting for the 1st time with symptoms of joint disease. Antibodies to the rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigen (RANA) and the early antigen of cytomegalovirus (CMV-EA) were determined in serum samples by indirect immunofluorescence. Elevated titers of RANA antibodies were present in early rheumatoid patients, but they were not a good diagnostic marker of rheumatoid disease due to the high incidence in normal subjects and disease control patients. Strong reactions to CMV-EA were seen in a proportion of the early patients but were rare in established disease, suggesting that recent infection with this virus might be an early feature.