Nucleic acid metabolism disturbance in progressive systemic sclerosis (systemic scleroderma).

The content of helical forms of RNA and DNA in plasma was determined in 28 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). Various disturbances of nucleic acid (NA) metabolism were noted in those patients: the DNA level was increased in comparison with the standard, and the RNA level was decreased. During treatment a normalization of the given indices was observed. The DNA content in plasma of PSS patients correlated with activity of the process, RNA content with the course of the disease.