Metabolism of Fibrinogen in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and in a Control Group

SummaryI131-fibrinogen turnover rate was examined in 27 patients, 15 patients with RA and 12 patients with various diseases. Fractional catabolic rate was identical in the two groups and a difference was found only in the mass of fibrinogen g/day, mean turnover being twice as high in the RA. In countings of radioactivity of the inflamed joints, a correlation to activity of the disease was found. Intraarticular injection of I131-tagged fibrinogen into two patients with RA, and into two patients with no joint complaints showed some deviation in proportion of “clot”/plasma activity. In RA patients a tendency to resorption of fibrinogen from the joint was observed and in the controls a tendency to local lysis.