Joint damage is amplified in rheumatoid arthritis patients with positive thyroid autoantibodies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), which is characterized by an increased presence of thyroid autoantibodies (TAbs), such as antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPOAbs) and antibodies against thyroglobulin (TgAbs), has been reported to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) because AITD and RA both involve autoimmunity. However, few data are available on the incidence of TAbs in Chinese RA patients, and studies on the association between TAbs and joint damage as well as synovitis in RA patients remain sparse. Here, we aimed to evaluate the incidence of TAbs in a consecutive Chinese RA cohort and to investigate whether the elevated presence of TAbs is associated with joint damage and synovitis in RA patients.

Methods

A total of 125 hospitalized RA patients

SUBMITTER: Chen YL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5756613 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature