Abstract
Pulmonary involvement is one of the most frequent extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis.
Aim: To assess the lung function (LFT) and diffusion capacity (DLCO) in nonsmoker patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and correlation with disease activity and rheumatoid factor positivity.
Method: 55 patients nonsmokers with a prior diagnosis of RA in rheumatology department, were subjected to lung function analysis. The various parameters-from spirometry, diffusion capacity, -were correlated with rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity (RA+/-) and disease activity score (DAS), C reactive protein (CRP) levels.
None of them had the diagnosis of lung interstitial disease prior the study.
Results: 30,9% had negative rheumatoid factor, and 69%positive;from them 12,7% were male;
FEV1, FVC,TLCwere lower in RA+ group than in RA-and FEV1/FVC was higher in RA+ group (81,4±12,6). Statistical significance was achieved for FEV1/FVC and TLC (4,6±1,6).
TLco was lower then predicted values in 36,4%; 29,4% in RA- and 39,8% in RA+;(OR=1,4);corrected TLco was 22,3±3,48 in RA+ and 20,1±3,6: p=0,03;regarding level of activity, decreased TLco was correlated (correlation factor=0,29) with RF positivity, CRP high levels (>3,9) and high DAS (>4,8).
Restrictive dysfunction had 23,6% RA+ (OR=2,3)and 11,7%RA-.Decreased TLco had 63,6% from those with restrictive dysfunction (71,4% in RA+ group).More than 50% from those with restrictive dysfunction and low TLco had a DAS>5.
Conclusions: Restrictive dysfunction and decreased TLco are correlated with RF positivity and with high level of disease activity in patients with RA.
- © 2011 ERS