Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.05.1978, Blaðsíða 100

Höyeraal, H.M. £ Endresen, G.K.M.
Oslo Sanitetsforening Rheiunatism Hoepital &
Institute of Immunology and Rhcumatology,
Rikshospitalet, Oslo.
Platelet count and disease activity seem to be
correlated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
(RA), and pronounced thrombocytosis has been
observed in patients with secondary amyloidosis.
Such relationships have, to our knowledge, not
been reported in patients with juvenile rheuma-
toid arthritis (JRA).
Samples of peripheral blood from 41 patients
with JRA (aged 2-16 years) were studied. No
surgery was performed in relation to blood
sampling. Platelets were counted visually after
vital staining. Correlation studies were performed
between platelet count and a number of clinical
and laboratory parameters.
The platelet count ranged from 88.000-937.000
per ul. High platelet values were associated
with high disease activity (P<0.05) and with
PLATELET COUNT AND DISEASE
ACTIVITY IN JUVENILE
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
presence of secondary amyloidosis (P< 0.01).
Significant posltive correlations were found
between platelet count and the following para-
meters:
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate(r=*-0.57, p< 0.0001)
Granulocyte count (t=f 0.64, P< 0.0001)
CH50 (hemolytic complement) (r=+0. 56, P< 0.001)
C4 (r=f0.54, P< 0.001)
C3 Proactivator/C3 Activator (r=+0.49, P< 0.005)
C3 (r=+0.46, P<0.01),
whereas significant negative correlation with:
Hemoglobin concentration (r=-0.60, P< 0.0001).
No such correlations were found between
platelet count and serum concentrations of Clq,
IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, or IgE.
Thus, the platelet count may be an additional
parameter of disease activity in patients withJRA.
TASTING ICELANDIC FOOD
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