Agalactosyl IgG: an aid to differential diagnosis in early synovitis |
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| Authors: | A Young N Sumar K Bodman S Goyal H Sinclair I Roitt D Isenberg |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Rheumatology, St. Alban's City Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, England. |
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| Abstract: | Sixty consecutive patients presenting with early-onset synovitis were studied by measuring rheumatoid factor (RF) titers and the percentage of oligosaccharide chains attached to the C gamma 2 domain of IgG that lack galactose (GAL[0]). After 2 years of followup, 39 patients (65%) had developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 21 had developed a variety of other inflammatory joint diseases. A combination of RF positivity and GAL(0) levels above the age-corrected mean gave a positive predictive value for a diagnosis of RA in 94% of these patients. These observations may well have clinical utility. |
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