The prevalence of homozygous and heterozygous deficiency of the second component of complement (C2) was determined in patients with rheumatic disease including 137 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 274 with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and 134 with rheumatoid arthritis.
alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-A.T.) phenotypes were determined in 55 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (R.A.), 33 patients with R.A. and either obstructive airways disease or recurrent chest infections, 49 patients with fibrosing alveolitis (F.A.), 22 patients with R.A. and F.A., and 200 healthy controls.
Reduced concentrations of alpha 1-antitrypsin in Z heterozygotes may be inadequate to inhibit the proteolytic enzymes released into the joints of adults with rheumatoid arthritis during phagocytosis of immune complexes.
HLA-A, B, C and D typing was performed in 19 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (primary SS) and in 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and secondary Sjögren's syndrome (RA-SS).