Protein Concentration of Oedema Fluid in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Abstract
Sera and edema fluids from patients with rheumatoid arthritis were examined by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate membranes. The edema fluids usually contained relatively higher amounts of albumin and lower amounts of [alpha] 2-globulin was unchanged while the [beta]-and gamma-globulins tended to be diminished in the edema fluids. The differential pattern of the edema fluid proteins in active rheumatoid arthritis was closer to that of the sera than was that of the more dilute edema fluids of inactive arthritis and other diseases, thus providing further evidence that the edema can be of inflammatory origin. Edema fluids frequently showed a single [beta]-band, but there were invariably at least 2 [beta]-bands in the sera. The altered [beta]-pattern in the edema fluids could indicate stasis with a low turnover of edema fluid proteins and/or locally increased enzymic activity. Evidence that all protein constituents of the serum are also present in edema fluid was provided by starch-gel electrophoresis and immuno-electrophoresis.