Comparative investigations on vitamin A level of plasma in some rheumatic diseases.

The vitamin A levels in the plasma of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylosis, ankylosing hyperostosis (whether or not connected with diabetes) were investigated. Somatically healthy neurotic patients and patients suffering from diabetes without rheumatological problems served as controls. It was found that the retinol level of plasma decreased in patients of both sexes suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and clinically active ankylosing spondylitis, but increased in female patients suffering from ankylosing hyperostosis connected with diabetes, and also in the diabetes group. The retinyl-esters content of plasma decreased in the rheumatoid arthritis group and increased in female patients suffering from spondylosis and in the clinically inactive ankylosing spondylitis group. The total vitamin A content changed only in the rheumatoid arthritis group where a lower level was found compared to a somatically healthy control group.