Antibody Levels and Male Sex Associated With Lung Disease in RA

High anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody levels are associated with lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Male sex is another independent risk factor for co-occurrence of active lung disease in RA.

Aubart and coworkers evaluated 252 patients with RA in a cross-sectional study. Suspected lung disease was confirmed by a chest high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan. Lung disease was classified as interstitial lung disease (ILD), bronchiectasis, or rheumatoid nodules. Anti-CCP antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF) were identified and quantified.

Lung disease was established clinically and confirmed by HRCT in 23.4% of the patients. The lung disease pattern was heterogeneous (ILD, 38.9%; bronchiectasis, 33.8%; nodules, 32.2%). An increased frequency of anti-CCP antibodies was observed in the patients with RA who had lung disease compared with those who did not (96.6% vs 86%). The median anti-CCP antibodies level was strongly increased in patients who had lung disease compared with those who did not. The frequency of RF positivity and levels of RF were increased in the group of patients who had lung disease.

The authors noted that a prospective study focusing on ILD with systematic chest HCRT scans would be required to assess the link between RA-related ILD and the production of anti-CCP antibodies.