The study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) prevalence among residents of eastern Chukotka--Eskimos and Chukchi.
Simultaneous total survey covered 974 of 1176(83.3%) residents of 4 villages in the eastern Chukotka.
RA was diagnosed in 7(0.7%) examines. Clinical picture of the disease was characterized by for the most part symmetric affection of hand and feet joints, absence of systemic manifestations, favourable course and frequent absence of RF. RF positive titers (1:160 and higher) occurred in 23 of 804 examinees (2.9%), among Eskimos--6%. This was significantly higher than in Chukchi (2.0%) and in subjects of mixed nationality (1.3%).
Prevalence and clinical picture of RA in residents of northeast Siberia were comparable with such observed in other epidemiological surveys in Russia and Alaska.