Autoantibodies and thrombophilia in RA : TNF{alpha} and TNF{alpha} blockers

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Ann Rheum Dis. 2004 Mar 17 [Epub ahead of print]

Autoantibodies and thrombophilia in rheumatoid arthritis : TNF{alpha}

and TNF{alpha} blockers.

Ferraccioli G, Gremese E.

Catholic University of Rome, Italy.

Patients suffering from Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune

chronic-relapsing inflammatory disease affecting joints and internal

organs, present in several studies a median survival much shorter than

the general population (1). The main cause of early premature mortality

is cardiovascular morbidity. In the March issue of Circulation,

et al.(2) clearly showed that RA women (age 30-55 years) have an

increased risk of Myocardial Infarction (AMI), a RR=2,compared with

women without RA, increasing according to disease duration up to a RR=

3.1, after 10 years of disease. In addition to the increased risk of

AMI, RA patients present an increased risk of carotid disease and of

peripheral arterial disease, only partially explained by the previous

use of corticosteroids (3).

PMID: 15028556

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