Abstract
The changes of the synovial fluid properties of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with intraarticular steroid injections combined with hyaluronate solution were investigated. Concentra-tions of hyaluronate and total protein, viscosity, molecular weight of hyaluronate, grade of stringing, and grade of formation of mucin clot of the synovial fluid were examined before and after the intraarticular administration of hyaluronate. 2.5 ml of 1% solution of hyaluronate, molecular weight 80 × 104, were admini-strated into the knee joints combined with steroid, the average times of injection in each patients were 3.3 times during 9.2 weeks. And the joint fluid was examined 2.9 weeks later in average. However no significant changes were observed in hyaluronate and protein concentration, viscosity and mucin clot formation, molecular weight increased from pre-treatment value of 198 × 104 to post-treatment value of 223 × 104 (P<0.2) and length of stringing also increased from 17.7 mm to 22.7 mm (P<0.2) .
Because it has been reported that high molecular weight hyaluronate could inhibit the synovial cell proliferation, synovial angiogenesis and lymphocyte stimulation, the results obtained in this study might be beneficial for the local treatment of joint inflammation.
