Reiter's Syndrome in the Population: An Interview Study

Abstract

To obtain data on the incidence of Reiter's syndrome (RS) as weel as on possible simultaneously appearing signs and symptoms of RS in sexual couples we have made interview reports of randomly selected 530 persons: 219 males and 311 females, aged 15 to 54.

None had RS. Six males (2.7%) and seven females (2.3%) had a history of probable RS (PRS). Almost all (5/6) female sexual partners of the men with PRS and more than half (4/7) male sexual partners of the women with PRS had a history of urogenital involvement. Twenty-seven men and 54 women said they did not have any sexual partners at that time. Forty (21.5%) of the female sexual partners of the remaining 186 men and likewise 11 male sexual partners (4,4%) of the 250 women had a history of urogenital involvements. Thus the relative risk of urogenital involvement is increased 3.9-fold in females and 13-fold in males who are sexual partners of persons with a history of PRS. Likewise in couples where one of the consorts has a history of PRS the simultaneous occurrence of urogenital involvement in both partners as well as the simultaneous occurrence of joint involvement in one and urogenital involvement in the other consort were registered significantly more frequently than in couples where neither of the consorts has a history of PRS. Sexual partners of persons with PRS even show a tendency to have joint and back pains more frequently than sexual partners of persons lacking a history of PRS.

These results emphasize the role of infections in the genito-urinary tracts of sexual coupes as a possible channel and reservoir of microbes which may cause, or contribute to, the initiation of and/or repeated attacks of RS. Sexually acquired and maintained rheumatic diseases may be one of the major problems in rheumatology.