Rheumatoid Factor Associated With Smoking in Arthritis Patients

[Guest guest]

Rheumatoid Factor Associated With Smoking in Arthritis Patients

By Chard

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sept 18 - The results of a study published in the

August 15th issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism confirm the association

between rheumatoid factor (RF) production in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

patients and smoking. However, the RA-associated shared epitope that

accompanies RF is independent of the effects of smoking, UK investigators

report.

" RF production in RA is generally associated with more severe disease, " Dr.

L. Mattey, of the Staffordshire Rheumatology Centre, and colleagues

note. " In some studies, RF production has been associated with carriage of

HLA-DRB1 alleles encoding the RA-associated shared epitope, " they add.

" Patients who smoke are also more likely to be RF-positive. "

The researchers examined whether the association between RF production and

smoking was affected by carriage of the RA-associated shared epitope. They

recorded the smoking histories, RF levels and RA-associated shared epitope

status for 371 RA patients.

" The major finding of our research is that production of RF in patients with

RA is more likely in individuals who have ever smoked or in those who

carry...HLA-DRB1*0401, " Dr. Mattey told Reuters Health.

His team found that 68.3% of ever-smokers were RF positive, compared with

49.3% of non-smokers (p < 0.0001). This association remained significant

after adjusting for age, sex, and disease duration.

After correcting for age, sex, and disease duration, the authors observed an

association between RF positivity and carriage of the RA-associated shared

epitope (p = 0.03). But the significance of this relationship was reduced or

lost after adjusting for smoking or history of smoking.

" One of the implications of our findings is that smoking may increase the

severity of RA by inducing the production of RF, " Dr. Mattey told Reuters

Health. " In certain individuals their genetic make-up alone will make them

more likely to produce RF, " he said. " However, if they smoke as well, it is

likely to increase the risk of producing RF and may exacerbate the severity

of their disease. "

Dr. Mattey noted that his team's findings confirm previous studies that have

shown an association between RF production and smoking, and between RF and

HLA-DRB1*0401, in patients with RA.

Smoking and DRB1*0401 can act independently of each other, he added. Also,

in patients with DRB1*0401, smoking may have an additive effect on RF

production.

" These findings add to a growing body of evidence that smoking not only

increases the risk of heart disease and cancer but may have a significant

effect on a chronic inflammatory disease like RA, " Dr. Mattey concluded.

Arthritis Rheum 2002;47:403-407.

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[Guest guest]

on 9/20/02 5:26 PM, a at paula54@... wrote:

>

> " One of the implications of our findings is that smoking may increase the

> severity of RA by inducing the production of RF, " Dr. Mattey told Reuters

> Health. " In certain individuals their genetic make-up alone will make them

> more likely to produce RF, " he said. " However, if they smoke as well, it is

> likely to increase the risk of producing RF and may exacerbate the severity

> of their disease. "

I smoked for over 30 years before I quit about eight years ago. Last August

when I was diagnosed with RA, my Rheumatoid Factor was 170 IU/ml (Reference

Range < 20 IU/ml). But I have nothing to compare that to. Is that very high

or moderately high or what?

Sue in NC

[Guest guest]

on 9/20/02 10:31 PM, Sue Plaster2 at splaster@... wrote:

I didn't receive any response to this, so I'm sending it again. Sue

> on 9/20/02 5:26 PM, a at paula54@... wrote:

>>

>> " One of the implications of our findings is that smoking may increase the

>> severity of RA by inducing the production of RF, " Dr. Mattey told Reuters

>> Health. " In certain individuals their genetic make-up alone will make them

>> more likely to produce RF, " he said. " However, if they smoke as well, it is

>> likely to increase the risk of producing RF and may exacerbate the severity

>> of their disease. "

>

> I smoked for over 30 years before I quit about eight years ago. Last August

> when I was diagnosed with RA, my Rheumatoid Factor was 170 IU/ml (Reference

> Range < 20 IU/ml). But I have nothing to compare that to. Is that very high

> or moderately high or what?

>

> Sue in NC

>

[Guest guest]

Sue,

Sorry I missed this post Sue. I¹m glad you resent it.

The way rheumatoid factor is determined is sometimes confusing. Your lab

says that 1:20 is considered normal. This means that they diluted your

sample 20 times and found RF. They then dilute it again to 40 times (1:40)

and they still can detect RF. So they dilute it again to 60 times (1:60)

and they still can detect it. Yours is 1:70 meaning they diluted it 70

times and can detect some RF. But any dilutions over 1:70, they couldn¹t

find any RF. Labs are different, but many consider anything over 1:80 as

being positive, so yours isn¹t considered very high.

Here is some info:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003548.htm

http://www.labcorp.com/datasets/labcorp/html/chapter/mono/se024700.htm

a

>

>

> on 9/20/02 10:31 PM, Sue Plaster2 at splaster@... wrote:

>

> I didn't receive any response to this, so I'm sending it again. Sue

>

>> > on 9/20/02 5:26 PM, a at paula54@... wrote:

>>> >>

>>> >> " One of the implications of our findings is that smoking may increase the

>>> >> severity of RA by inducing the production of RF, " Dr. Mattey told Reuters

>>> >> Health. " In certain individuals their genetic make-up alone will make >>>

them

>>> >> more likely to produce RF, " he said. " However, if they smoke as well, it

is

>>> >> likely to increase the risk of producing RF and may exacerbate the

>>> severity

>>> >> of their disease. "

>> >

>> > I smoked for over 30 years before I quit about eight years ago. Last August

>> > when I was diagnosed with RA, my Rheumatoid Factor was 170 IU/ml (Reference

>> > Range < 20 IU/ml). But I have nothing to compare that to. Is that very high

>> > or moderately high or what?

>> >

>> > Sue in NC

>> >

>

>

>