This study comprised sixty- nine patients. They were divided into 2 groups;group I : thirty adult patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (twenty-twofemale patients and eight male patients) diagnosed according to the proposed1987 criteria revised American Rheumatism Association criteria for RA(Arnnett et al., 1988). Group II: thirty-nine patients with non-inflammatorydisorders(twenty four patients having knee osteoarthritis; nineteen femalepatients and five male patients according to the criteria of (Altman et al., 1986),and fifteen female patients having fibromyalgia according to ACR criteria,1990 ( Wolfe et al., 1990). Patients were matched with twenty age and sexhealthy controls (Group III). They were all subjected to