Abstract
We measured the blood and lasmaviscosity in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing plasmapheresis (PP) treatment, and investigate the connection between activity of RA, clinical symptoms and laboratory data We performed PP on 18 patients using double filtration. The subjects consisted of 18 patients and we divided into two groups A and B according to their erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels. Group A patients had ESR levels of 50mm/hr and higher, and Grou B patients had ESR levels under 50mm/hr. We investigated the changes in viscosity and relevancy to activity of RA and clinical symptoms compared group A with group B. Group A's plasma viscosity was significantly higher than group B's, and plasma viscosity showed a significant tendency to fall by PP in both of groups. Group A's clinical symptoms were more severe. Group A showsa significantly higher Lansbury index than group B and clinical symptoms show a tendency to improve by PP in both groups. Also, Group A's values were significantly higher than group B's with respect to ESR, γ -globulin, IgG, IgA, and Fibrinogen.
