Urinary Excretion of Acid Mucopolysaccharides by Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis1

Abstract

The urinary excretion of acid mucopolysaccharides (APS) was studied in normal individuals and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In patients with active untreated rheumatoid arthritis the daily urinary excretion of APS was higher than in normal individuals. The administration of sodium salicylate to arthritics reduced the urinary excretion of APS to normal. In both groups, the urinary APS were a mixture of chondroitinsulfate (ca. 70%) and hyaluronate (ca. 30%).