Electrophoretic Studies of Synovial Fluid Proteins

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In osteoarthritis, traumatic-synovitis and other non-rheumatoid disorders, the synovial fluid protein pattern resembles that of the serum; and in these cases, synovial biopsies consistently showed nonspecific synovitis. Osteoarthritic patients with recent effusions and cases of traumatic synovitis showed higher [alpha]2 and gamma-globulin levels in both serum and synovial fluid than did osteoarthritics with long-standing effusions. The synovial fluid protein pattern in rheumatoid-arthritis, ankylosing-spondylitis and Reiter''s syndrome resembled the serum pattern except for a considerable excess of gamma-globulin. The same rheumatoid pattern and the intensity of plasma cell infiltration seemed to correlate with the synovial fluid gamma-globulin content in these diseases. With increasing duration of rheumatoid arthritis, both serum and synovial fluid showed a slight rise in albumin, persistently high [alpha]1, falling [alpha]2, and rising gamma-globulin levels. In rheumatoid arthritis of more than 1 yr. duration, seronegative patients showed significantly higher synovial fluid and higher serum gamma-globulin levels than did seropositive patients. Cases of ankylosing spondylitis with peripheral arthritis showed very significantly higher [alpha]2 and gamma-globulin levels in serum and synovial fluid than cases of rheumatoid arthritis.