Radiographs |
Hands | 109 (92) | 113 (95) | >0.05 |
Chest | 78 (66) | 55 (46) | 0.001 |
Knees | 68 (57) | 66 (55) | >0.05 |
Feet | 59 (50) | 60 (50) | >0.05 |
Pelvis | 54 (45) | 28 (24) | 0.0001 |
Other imaging studies |
Radionuclide bone scanning | 8 (7) | 3 (3) | >0.05 |
MRI hand-wrist | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Echocardiography | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Joint ultrasonography | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
HLA |
B27 | 33 (28) | 9 (8) | 0.0001 |
A, B, DR | 14 (12) | 9 (8) | >0.05 |
Routine laboratory tests |
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate | 88 (74) | 93 (78) | >0.05 |
C reactive protein | 80 (67) | 86 (72) | >0.05 |
Blood cell counts | 77 (65) | 94 (79) | 0.01 |
AST/ALT | 74 (62) | 32 (27) | 0.05 |
Proteinuria | 47 (39) | 32 (27) | 0.01 |
Creatinine | 41 (34) | 46 (39) | >0.05 |
Serum uric acid | 17 (14) | 14 (12) | >0.05 |
Ferritin | 14 (12) | 5 (4) | 0.01 |
Iron | 11 (9) | 5 (4) | 0.02 |
Fibrin | 4 (3) | 4 (3) | >0.05 |
Creatine kinase | 4 (3) | 1 (1) | >0.05 |
Iron binding capacity | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
APTT | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | >0.05 |
Aldolase | 1 (1) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Lactic dehydrogenase | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Microbiological studies |
Genital tract | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Stool | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Blood | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Serology |
Hepatitis C | 23 (19) | 11 (9) | 0.0001 |
Hepatitis B | 21 (18) | 10 (8) | 0.001 |
Lyme | 15 (13) | 2 (2) | 0.01 |
HIV | 13 (11) | 3 (3) | >0.05 |
Parvovirus B19 | 10 (8) | 1 (1) | 0.01 |
Chlamydiae | 8 (7) | 0 (0) | 0.01 |
Antistreptolysin O | 3 (3) | 1 (1) | >0.05 |
Mycoplasma | 1 (1) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Salmonella | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Immunology |
Antinuclear factor | 117 (98) | 104 (87) | >0.05 |
Rheumatoid factor | 117 (98) | 87 (76) | 0.0001 |
Latex test | 103 (87) | 47 (39) | 0.0001 |
Waaler-Rose test | 97 (82) | 72 (61) | 0.001 |
Antikeratin antibodies | 49 (41) | 35 (29) | >0.05 |
Complement | 15 (13) | 12 (10) | >0.05 |
Antiperinuclear factor | 12 (10) | 8 (7) | >0.05 |
Antiphospholipid antibody | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | >0.05 |
Cryoglobulinaemia | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody | 1 (1) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Joint aspiration (synovial fluid analysis) | 43 (36) | 31 (26) | >0.05 |
Biopsy |
Salivary gland | 3 (3) | 1 (1) | >0.05 |
Synovial membrane | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | >0.05 |
Ophthalmological examination | 10 (8) | 15 (13) | >0.05 |