To determine whether Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA can be detected in synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
The polymerase chain reaction was applied to cellular components of synovial fluid.
No evidence of M tuberculosis DNA was found in synovial fluid from 31 patients with RA and 13 control patients.
The findings do not support a role for persistent M tuberculosis infection in the pathogenesis of RA.