Reduction of complement activation in rheumatoid arthritis by steroid treatment.

Patients with severe active active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have higher than normal plasma concentrations of the complement C3 split-product C3d, indicating increased complement activation. Treatment with steroids reduced plasma C3d levels in these patients. Ten patients with classic or definite RA and high disease activity were studied during six days of treatment with steroids. The C3d plasma concentrations declined in a dose-related manner with an increase in daily prednisolone dosage. However the statistical significance of this relationship did not seem to be high enough to validate the use of serial C3d estimations to monitor changes in disease activity in RA patients during short-term steroid treatment.