Research Information System
TRACE ELEMENTS AND ELECTROLYTES, vol.23, no.1, pp.55-59, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)
Recently, trace element levels such as serum zinc and copper in rheumatoid arthritis patients have gained importance. In some studies, synovial fluid zinc levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients were found to be increased. In this study, the effect of ultrasound on synovial fluid zinc level and synovial fluid leukocyte count was investigated in classical and/or definite rheumatoid arthritis patients, with the application of a dose of 2 Watt/cm(2) for 5 minutes on the knee joints of 20 patients. Synovial fluid zinc levels were estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Synovial fluid zinc levels immediately after application of ultrasound were significantly decreased when compared with those before ultrasound application (p < 0.05). When the synovial fluid zinc level immediately after ultrasound application was compared with that 24 hours after ultrasound application, the difference was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Synovial fluid leukocyte count immediately after ultrasound application was statistically significantly increased when compared with synovial fluid leukocyte count before ultrasound application (p < 0.05). The synovial fluid zinc level and synovial fluid leukocyte count were found to be high in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The decrease of synovial fluid, zinc level and increase of synovial fluid leukocyte count immediately after ultrasound application seems to be related to the increase of inflammatory activity due to the ultrasound application in rheumatoid arthritis patients.