Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2020.59.02.15

The Effect of Smoking on Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis – Our Experience

Ana Gudelj Gračanin ; Division of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivan Marković ; Division of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Majda Golob ; Division of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Marko Lucijanić ; Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Ana Marija Valetić ; Division of Clinical Immunology, Pulmonology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
Jadranka Morović-Vergles ; Division of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of smoking with disease activity, seropositivity, age and gender in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We included 89 rheumatoid arthritis patients. All patients fulfilled the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European
League Against Rheumatism rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria. Activity of the disease was measured by Disease Activity Score 28-joint count C-reactive protein (DAS28CRP). The subjects were stratified into smoking and non-smoking groups and cross-sectionally analyzed. There were 24 (27%) smokers and 65 (73%) nonsmokers. The mean age of patients was 57.1±8.8 years. The mean DAS28CRP was 5.81 in the smoking group and 5.57 in the non-smoking group, without statistically
significant difference between the two groups (p=0.148). Similarly, smokers did not differ significantly from non-smokers according to age (p=0.443), gender (p=0.274), rheumatoid factor positivity (p=0.231), anti-citrullinated protein antibody positivity (p=0.754) or seropositivity (p=0.163). In this study, we found no association between smoking status and disease activity, seropositivity, age or gender in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Furthermore, disease activity was not related to age, gender or seropositivity. Additional studies on the effects of smoking on rheumatoid arthritis activity are needed.

Keywords

Smoking; Rheumatoid arthritis; Rheumatoid factor

Hrčak ID:

243690

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/243690

Publication date:

1.6.2020.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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