Rheumatoid arthritis, dysproteinemic arthropathy, and paraproteinemia

The results of clinical and immunochemical studies of 16 patients with rheumatoid disease and 2 with secondary joint disease who had coexistent para‐proteinemias are presented. The former include 8 cases of lanthanic dysimmuno‐globulinemia, 6 cases of multiple myeloma, and one case each of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and heavy‐chain disease. The latter group consisted of 2 patients with multiple myeloma in whom dysproteinemic arthropathy developed. Other primary neoplasms occurred in 6 of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The onset of rheumatoid arthritis antedated the detection of para‐proteinemia by 1 to 44 years (average 15). Prolonged antigenic stimulation manifested by rheumatoid arthritis is discussed as a possible pathogenetic factor in the evolution of immunoproliferative disorders.