Abstract
Polymyalgia rheumatica (reported by Barber in 1957) is one of the well established rheumatic diseases with characteristic stiffness and pain bilaterally in the neck, shoulder and the pelvic girdle. It is a fever of unknown origin, refractory to antibiotics.
Patients show no abnormalities on physical and roentgenological examination, muscle derived enzymes on biochemistry, EMG or on pathohistology of muscle-biopsy.
From studies up to the present, Bradykinin, prostaglandin, acetylcholine, catecholamine, potassium, ischemia, compression, changes of pH and osmolarity are known to produce pain.
Fifteen cases have been seen in our clinic over the past 5 years and bradykinin was measured in 12 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.
The serum level of bradykinin was obtained; 9.6 to 21.0 in normals and 17 to 195pg/ml in the patient-group. The mean was 59.4pg/ml.
This higher level of bradykinin in patients suggests some relation in the mechanism of pain in this disease.
