Serum biochemical values in rheumatoid disease.

Rheumatoid disease is a systemic disorder, the widespread extra-articular manifestations of which have been reviewed by Dudley Hart (1969, 1970) in his Ellman and Davidson lectures. The tissues clinically involved are those not usually associated with disturbances of metabolism, so that abnormalities of serum chemistry might not be anticipated. Increased use of biochemical investigations in modern medical practice frequently reveals unexpected and unexplained results which may confuse rather than clarify the management of patients. Furthermore, drugs such as salicylates, phenacetin, and corticosteroids used in treatment of rheumatoid disease may complicate the picture. In the present study we have attempted to determine the frequency of serum biochemical abnormalities in rheumatoid disease and to provide explanations for some of the results obtained. Patients 100 consecutive patients with rheumatoid disease admitted to a general hospital and to a hospital for rheumatic disorders were studied. Their ages ranged from 12 to 75 years and 71 were female. Diagnosis was based upon the accepted clinical, radiographic, and serological criteria.