[Investigations on the plasm amino acids of old patients with rheumatoid arthritis (author's transl)].

The amino acids of blood plasma of 43 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 19 controls were investigated by ion exchange chromatography. It was proofed simultaneously whether human more than 60 years old exhibit significantly different amino acid concentrations from younger individuals. It was found that RA patients more than 60 years differ significantly in 23 out of 30 amino acids. Only Asparagine was decreased, all other amino acids were increased. The controls did not show the same uniform direction of results. Older individuals exhibited differences in only 14 amino acids. Phosphoserine, Cystathionine and Arginine were increased to a great extent while Threonine, 1-Methylhistidine and Tryptophane were apparently diminished in this group of age.