Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rheumatoid arthritis in a population sample in the gulf: Clinical observations

  • Originals
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In our practice we had constantly been under the impression that most Arab patients with RA tend to have a non-aggressive and rather nondisabling disease. Therefore, the spectrum of RA was studied in 42 hospital patients with classic or definite forms. Their mean age was 41.2 years and the mean duration of illness was 5.25 years. F:M ratio was 3.6:1. Seropositivity and radiological findings were observed in 59.5% and 45.2% of the patients respectively. They showed a marked lack of nonarticular manifestations with insignificant functional incapacity. The over-all assessment appeared to be in agreement with the initial clinical impression.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wood, P.H.N., Badley, E.M. Epidemiology of individual rheumatic disorders. In: Copeman's Textbook of Rheumatic Disease. 6th ed. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 1986, 63–67.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lawrence, J.S. Rheumatoid arthritis. In: Rheumatism in Populations. London, Heinemann Medical, 1977, 202–207.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Engel, A. Rheumatoid arthritis in US adults 1960–62. In: Population Studies of the Rheumatic Disease. Eds: Bennett, P.H., Wood, P.H.N. International Congress Series, no. 148. Amsterdam, Exerpta Medica Foundation, 1968, 83–89.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Harvey, J., Lotze, M., Arnett, F.C., et al. Rheumatoid arthritis in a Chippewa band. 11. Field study with clinical, serologic and HLA-D correlations. J. Rheumatol 1983, 10, 28–32.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Beasley, R.P., Wilkens, R.F., Bennett, P.H. High prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Yakima Indians. Arthritis Rheum 1973, 16, 743–748.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Beasley, R.P., Bennett, P.H., Lin, C.C. Low prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Chinese. J Rheumatol 1983, Suppl 10, 11–15.

  7. Muller, A.S., Valkenburg, H.A., Greenwood, B.M. Rheumatoid arthritis in three West African populations. E African Med J 1972, 49, 75–83.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Meyers, O.L., Daynes, G., Beighton, P. Rheumatoid arthritis in a tribal Xhosa population in the Transkei, Southern Africa Ann Rheum Dis 1977, 36, 62–65.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Beighton, P., Soloman, L., Valkenburg, H.A. Rheumatoid arthritis in a rural South African Negro population. Ann Rheum Dis 1975, 34, 136–141.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hall, L. Polyarthritis is Naibori Africans. East Afr Med J 1963, 40, 354–358.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Anderson, I.F. Rheumatoid arthritis in the Bantu. S Afr Med J 1970 (44), 1277–1279.

  12. Bagg, L.R., Hansen, D.P., Lewis, C. et al. Rheumatoid arthritis in Kenya. I. Clinical observations. Ann Rheum Dis 1979, (38), 23–25.

  13. Mody, G.M., Meyers, O.L. Rheumatoid arthritis in blacks in South Africa. Ann Rheum Dis 1989, 48, 69–72.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Rajapakse, C.N.A. The spectrum of rheumatoid disease in Saudi Arabia. Br J of Rheum 1987, 26, 22–23.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Al-Rawi, Z.S., Al Azzawi, A.J., Al-Ajili, F.M. et al. Rheumatoid arthritis in population samples in Iraq. Ann Rheum Dis 1978, 37, 73–75.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Pountain, G. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the Sultanate of Oman. Br J of Rheum 1991, 30, 24–28.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bahr, G.M., Sattar, M.A., Stanford, J.L. et al. HLA-DR and tuberculin tests in rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis. Ann Rheum Dis 1989, 48, 63–68.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Ropes, M.W., Bennett, G.A., Cobb, S. et al. 1958 revision of diagnosis criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. Bull Rheum Dis 1958, 9, 175–176.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Krane, S.M., Simon, L.S. Rheumatoid arthritis: Clinical features and pathogenetic mechanism. Med Clin North Am 1986, 70, 263–270.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Edeiken, J., Hodes, P.J. Rheumatoid arthritis. In: Golden Diagnostic Radiology. Ed: L. Robbins. Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore 1973, 2, 687–708.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Steinbrocker, O., Traeger, C.H., Batterman, R.C. Therapeutic criteria in rheumatoid arthritis JAMA. 1949, 140, 659–662.

  22. Davis, J.S. Rheumatoid factors. In: Rheumatology and Immunology. Ed.: Cohen, A.S. Grune and Stratton. New York, 1979, 77–80.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Mangat, G.K., Veerapen, K., Watt, L., et al. A comparative study of rheumatoid arthritis in a Malaysian and British Hospital (abstract) Br J Rheumatol 1988, 27(Abstr Suppl 2), 70–71.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Greenwood, D.M. Polyarthritis in Western Nigeria. I. Rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 1969, 28, 488–496.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Harris, Ed. Rheumtoid arthritis: The Clinical Spectrum. In: Textbook of Rheumatology. Eds.: Kelley, W., Harris, E.D., Ruddy, S., Sledge, C.B. Textbook of Rheumatology. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 1st ed. 1981, 928–963.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Kaye, B.R., Kaye, R.L., Bobrove, A. Rheumatoid nodules. Review of the spectrum of associated conditions and proposal of a new classification, with a report of four seronegative cases. Am J Med 1984, 76, 279–292.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Miyasaka, N., Sato, K., Yamamoto, K., et al. Immunological and immunohistopathological analysis of rheumatoid nodules. Ann Rheum Dis 1989, 48, 220–226.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Mowat, A.G. Haematological abnormalities in rheumatoid arthritis. Semin arthritis Rheum 1971, 1, 195–219.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hansen, T.M., Hansen, N.E., Birgens, H.S., et al. Serum ferritin and the assessment of iron deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis. Scan J Rheumatol 1983, 12, 353–355.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Gordon, D.A., Stein, J.L., Border, L. The extra-articular features of rheumatoid arthritis. A systemic analysis of 127 cases. Am J Med 1973, 84, 445–453.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Roitt, I.M., Corbett, M., Festentein, H., et al. HLA DRW4 and prognosis in rheumatoid arthritis (Letter). Lancet 1978, i, 990.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Woodraw, J.C., Nichol, F.E., Zaphiropoulos, G. DR antigens and rheumatoid arthritis, a study of two populations. Br Med J 1981, 283, 1287–1288.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Sattar, M.A., Al-Saffer, M., Guindi, R.T., et al. Association between HLA-DR and rheumatoid arthritis in Arabs. Ann Rheum Dis 1990, 49 (3), 147–149.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Sattar, M.A., Al-Saffar, M., Guindi, R.T., et al. Histocompatibility antigens (A,B,C, and DR) in Arabs with rheumatoid arthritis. Disease Markers 1990, 8(1), 11–15.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Solomon, L., Robin, G., Valkenburg, H.A. Rheumatoid arthritis in an urban South African Negro population. Ann Rheum Dis 1975, 34, 128–135.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Kellgren, J.H. Epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1966, 9, 658–574.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Medical Department of Mafraq Hospital, and Al-Jazera Hospital, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

    H. M. Al Attia (Consultant physician in Internal Medicine), O. B. Gatee (Consultant physician in Internal Medicine), S. George (Registrar in Internal Medicine) & M. M. Masri (Head of the Medical Research Unit)

Authors
  1. H. M. Al Attia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. O. B. Gatee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. George
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. M. Masri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Al Attia, H.M., Gatee, O.B., George, S. et al. Rheumatoid arthritis in a population sample in the gulf: Clinical observations. Clin Rheumatol 12, 506–510 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02231780

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02231780

Key words

Search

Navigation