Elastase and collagenase activities in synovial fluid of patients with arthritis.

The activity of elastase and collagenase was measured in the synovial fluid (SF) of 24 patients with inflammatory and 6 patients with traumatic joint effusions. The enzyme activity was compared with local and systemic variables of the disease. Elastase and collagenase activity could be detected in 79 and 83%, respectively, of the arthritic SF, whereas no enzyme activity was found in the traumatic joint effusions. The SF enzyme activity showed no correlation with clinical, laboratory or radiographic variables of arthritis in the joint from which the fluid was obtained. Our results show that proteolytic enzyme activity in SF may help to distinguish inflammatory from noninflammatory joint effusions but does not reflect the severity of the arthritic process.