The influence of low-intensity laser radiation on the characteristics of the blood coagulation system in patients presenting with rheumatoid arthritis

The objective of the present work was to study the influence of low-intensity laser radiation on the state of vascular-thrombocytic and plasma hemostasis. It included 47patients aged from 20 to 65 years presenting with rheumatoid arthritis of 1 to 19 years in duration. The patients were allocated to two groups of which group 1 comprised those with grade I pathological process activity while group 2 included patients with grade II process activity. The patients of both groups were treated with low-intensity laser radiation (LILR). The major parameters estimated in all the patients were platelet aggregation and characteristics of plasma hemostasis. Patients showing grade II pathological process activity exhibited a significant enhancement of thrombocytic and plasma hemostasis compared with their counterparts with a lower activity. The combined treatment including low-intensity laser radiation resulted in a significant decrease of vascular-thrombocytic and coagulation hemostasis in the patients of either group compared with the respective initial values. It is concluded that the inclusion of low-intensity laserotherapy in the combined treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis permits to eliminate clinical manifestations of the disease with simultaneous improvement of vascular-thrombocytic and coagulation hemostasis.

rheumatoid arthritis, blood coagulation system, platelet aggregation, coagulation hemostasis, low-intensity laserotherapy