Studies on the Concentration and Intrinsic Viscosity of Hyaluronic Acid in Synovial Fluids of Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

Abstract

The intrinsic viscosities and concentrations of hyaluronic-acid were decreased in synovial fluids from patients with osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The intrinsic viscosity of synovial fluids from patients with traumatic arthritis was less than that from patients with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. There was no significant difference in intrinsic viscosity between the 2 latter groups. The hyaluronic-acid concentration of synovial fluids from patients with rheumatoid arthritis was less than that from patients with osteoarthritis or traumatic arthritis, but there was no significant difference between the 2 latter groups. There was no correlation between the hyaluronic -acid concentration or intrinsic viscosity of synovial fluid and the clinical status of the disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The intrinsic viscosity of post-mortem synovial fluid was not significantly different from that of "normal" synovial fluid, but the concentration of hyaluronic-acid in post-mortem synovial fluids was markedly less than that in those from "normal" volunteers.