[Metabolism of collagen in infectious nonspecific (rheumatoid) polyarthritis].

Distinct impairments in collagen metabolism were observed in infectious (rheumatoid) polyarthritis. The impairements were manifested as increased excretion of hydroxyproline with urine and increased content of protein bound hydroxyproline in blood plasma and synovial fluid; the impairements increased with an increased in severity and abundance of pathological process in connective tissue. After successful treatment of patients (surgical operation, combined with complex antirheumatic treatment) content of the collagen metabolites was decreased in biological fluids; this decrease was not observed if the inflammatory process in the connective tissue was present.