| Résumé | Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been applied to the investigation of synovial fluids (SFs) aspirated from arthritic joints. Significant differences, related to differences in the composition of the fluid as a result of the disease processes, were found between spectra of SFs from joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, spondyloarthropathies, and meniscal injuries. Linear discriminant analysis with leave-one-out cross validation was used to classify 239 SF film spectra obtained from 86 patients. Using a patient-based approach, in which the consensus of results obtained from three spectra of each fluid was taken as the diagnosis, multivariate analysis successfully classified spectra into four classes, in excellent agreement with clinical diagnosis (96.5% correct classification). These results demonstrate that when combined with a properly trained classifier, infrared spectra of SF films can be used as an aid in the diagnosis of arthritic disorders. |
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