Demographic and Serologic Factors Predict Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 292 - 298, 31.05.2025

Hakki Celik , Aylin Özgen Alpaydın , Şengül Tarhan , Gerçek Can , Naciye Sinem Gezer

Abstract

Demographic and Serologic Factors Predict Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Abstract

Purpose: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) stands as a prominent reason of morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Certain demographic and serologic elements have been attributed in the risk of RA-ILD; however, the available data may not be sufficient to fully clarify this association. Our objective was to analyze the relationship of demographic features and serologic factors with RA-ILD.
Methods: We examined clinical data from RA patients between January 2015-January 2020. Chest CT examinations were assessed for ILD. The association between age, gender, smoking, RF and anti-CCP titers and the existence of RA-ILD was analyzed. The same factors were analyzed for the existence of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern in RA-ILD patients.
Results: RA patients with ILD were notably older (p=0.005), male (p<0.001), and smokers (p=0.027). Higher RF titers were found in RA-ILD group (p=0.022). Although anti-CCP rates and titers were elevated in RA-ILD patients, the variation was not significant. Male sex was linked with the UIP pattern (p=0.029), but other factors did not vary significantly between UIP and non-UIP patterns.
Conclusion: Advanced age, being male, smoking, and elevated RF titers were spotted as significant indicators of RA-ILD. Except for male gender, no significant risk factor predicted UIP pattern.

Keywords

Rheumatoid arthritis , interstitial lung disease , smoking , rheumatoid factor , anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide

Ethical Statement

Dokuz Eylül University Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee approved this retrospective study (Date: 02.06.2021, Decision number: 2021/17-01), and the requirement for a consent form was waived

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