RESEARCH - Detection of rubella, mumps, and measles virus genomic RNA in cells from synovial fluid and peripheral blood in early RA

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J Rheumatol. 1997 Jul;24(7):1260-5.

Detection of rubella, mumps, and measles virus genomic RNA in cells

from synovial fluid and peripheral blood in early rheumatoid

arthritis.

Zhang D, Nikkari S, Vainionpää R, Luukkainen R, Yli-Kerttula U, Toivanen P.

Turku Immunology Centre, Department of Medical Microbiology, Turku

University, Finland.

OBJECTIVE: To determine, by studying patients with early rheumatoid

arthritis (RA), whether rubella virus (rubella), mumps virus (mumps),

or measles virus (measles) plays a role in the pathogenesis of RA.

METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction combined with reverse transcription

was used to detect viral RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

(PBMC) or synovial fluid (SF) cells. The patients with RA had newly

diagnosed disease (duration < or = 1 year). The controls were patients

with other arthropathies.

RESULTS: Rubella genomic RNA was not detected in SF cells from

patients with early RA or from controls, or in PBMC from patients with

RA. It was found in PBMC of one of 46 patients with other

arthropathies. Mumps or measles genomic RNA was detected in PBMC

samples from 1.8% (1/54) and 9.3% (5/54) of RA, respectively, and from

4.3% (2/46) and 6.5% (3/46) of control patients. The SF cell samples

harbored mumps or measles RNA in 4.8% (2/42) and 7.1% (3/42) of

patients with RA, respectively; the corresponding value was 6.5%

(2/31) for control patients, for both mumps and measles.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest rubella, mumps, or measles do not

play a role in the etiopathogenesis of RA.

PMID: 9228121

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9228121

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