Correlation of serum and synovial fluid ferritin with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Abstract EN

Objective: To measure ferritin levels in the serum and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to correlate that with disease activity.

Methods: Forty RA patients, Twenty osteoarthritis (OA) patients and twenty healthy controls were included in the study.

They were subjected to thorough clinical examination and the following laboratory investigations: full blood picture, ESR, C-reactive protein (CRP), serum rheumatoid factor, serum and synovial fluid levels of ferritin with immuno-enzymatic assay (IEMA).

Results: Serum level of ferritin was significantly raised in RA patients as compared with OA patients (p < 0.05) and healthy controls (p < 0.01).

Also, ferritin level in synovial fluid from RA patients was significantly higher than that in synovial fluid from OA patients (p < 0.05).

Within RA group, the synovial fluid level of ferritin was significantly higher than serum level (p < 0.01).

Moreover, serum and synovial fluid levels of ferritin in RA patients showed significant correlations with parameters of disease activity including grip strength, Ritchie articular index, ESR, CRP and index of disease activity.

Conclusion: Serum and synovial fluid levels of ferritin could be considered a reliable marker for disease activity in RA