CIGARETTE-SMOKING AND PULMONARY DIFFUSION DEFECTS IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

The pathogenesis of lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has stil l to be defined. Risk factors associated with lung involvement in RA w ere investigated by means of pulmonary function studies in 40 RA patie nts without apparent lung disease. A decreased carbon monoxide (CO) di ffusion capacity indicative of interstitial lung disease (ILD) was the main pulmonary function defect found in the first 20 patients. The oc currence was associated with current cigarette smoking. This associati on was confirmed in a case control study performed subsequently. These data suggest that ILD in RA is stimulated by smoking and provide an a dditional argument that modification of smoking behaviour in RA patien ts might lead to less severe complications.