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Waldenlind K, Delcoigne B, Saevarsdottir S, Askling J. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and risk of thyroxine-treated autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Intern Med 2024; 295:313-321. [PMID: 37990795 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) share a genetic background, and the prevalence of AITD in RA patients is increased. Whereas immunomodulatory treatments are used in RA, they are rarely used in AITD. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) as used in RA might lower the risk of incident AITD. METHODS A nationwide cohort study including 13,731 patients with new-onset RA from the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register 2006-2018 and 63,201 matched general population comparators linked to national registers to identify AITD. We estimated relative risks (hazard ratios) of AITD after RA diagnosis in RA patients compared to the general population, and in relation to DMARD treatment, using Cox regression. RESULTS Following RA diagnosis, 321 (2.3%) of the RA patients and 1838 (2.9%) of the population comparators developed AITD, corresponding to an incidence of 3.7 versus 4.6 per 1000 person-years, hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72-0.91. The decreased risk of incident AITD among RA patients compared to the general population was most pronounced among biologic DMARD (bDMARD) treated patients, with a hazard ratio of 0.54; 95% CI, 0.39-0.76. Among RA patients, subgrouped by bDMARD use, TNF-inhibitors were associated with the most pronounced decrease, hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.47-0.96. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the increased prevalence of AITD in RA patients at diagnosis, our results indicate that the risk of AITD decreases following RA diagnosis. This decrease is especially pronounced in RA patients treated with bDMARDs. These findings support the hypothesis that DMARDs might have a preventive effect on AITD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Waldenlind
- Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology, Theme Inflammation and Ageing, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bénédicte Delcoigne
- Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Saedis Saevarsdottir
- Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Johan Askling
- Department of Medicine, Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology, Theme Inflammation and Ageing, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Lichtiger A, Fadaei G, Tagoe CE. Autoimmune thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis: where the twain meet. Clin Rheumatol 2024; 43:895-905. [PMID: 38340224 PMCID: PMC10876734 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-024-06888-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is the most prevalent autoimmune disease. It shares multiple genetic, clinical, and serologic characteristics with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although frequently described as a classic form of single-organ autoimmunity, the AITD disease burden in a subset of patients extends well beyond the thyroid gland. This review explores the complex interaction between the two diseases and the clinical consequences when they overlap. Beyond the well-known effects of AITD on thyroid function in RA, there is mounting evidence of the association of both conditions impacting the presentation and outcomes of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. An increasing number of studies suggest that there are negative effects of AITD on RA disease activity both in the presence and in the absence of thyroid dysfunction. Recent evidence suggests that AITD may not only worsen the cumulative damage of RA through higher disease activity but may also worsen secondary osteoarthritis changes. Less well-known is the significant association between AITD and chronic widespread pain syndromes including fibromyalgia. Importantly, the presence of fibromyalgia, which is increased in RA patients, appears to be further increased when it overlaps with AITD. Lastly, we probe the possible influence of AITD interacting with RA on fertility and clinical depression. Key Points • Autoimmune thyroid disease is the most common autoimmune disease and is frequently associated with rheumatoid arthritis. • Autoimmune thyroid disease can present with osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and chronic widespread pain syndromes. • The co-occurrence of autoimmune thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis may worsen disease activity and exacerbate other disease manifestations including cardiovascular disease, fertility, and depression. • The overlap of rheumatoid arthritis with autoimmune thyroid disease needs further research and should be sought in general clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lichtiger
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Clement E Tagoe
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY, 10467-2490, USA.
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Chen SL, Xu Q, Lin CS. Methotrexate is associated with decreased total thyroxine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammopharmacology 2023; 31:2383-2392. [PMID: 37493915 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01299-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by joint swelling, pain, and deformation. RA patients have an increased risk of thyroid dysfunction, and drugs of RA treatment may have potential effects on thyroid function. METHODS This is a single-center cross-sectional study including 281 inpatients with RA in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between RA therapeutic drugs and thyroid function. The medical records of 281 inpatients with RA were collected, including general data, laboratory examination, complications, and RA treatment. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the association of independent variables with thyroid function and antibodies in RA patients. Multinomial logistics and binary logistic regression were used for multivariate analysis. The statistically significance level was set as P < 0.05. SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Patients taking methotrexate (OR = 0.067, 95%CI: 0.008-0.588, P = 0.015) had lower levels of total thyroxine (TT4) (TT4 < 78.38 nmol/L). There was a negative correlation between glucocorticoids (r = - 0.153, P = 0.010) and total triiodothyronine (TT3) level (TT3 ≥ 1.34 nmol/L), but it was not significant in the multivariate regression model of TT3, although the regression model was statistically significant (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION Methotrexate is associated with decreased TT4 levels in RA patients, and glucocorticoids is associated with decreased TT3 levels. Drugs of RA treatment may affect the thyroid function of patients while treating RA, which may be one of the causes of secondary thyroid diseases in RA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Lin Chen
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- The First Clinical Medicine School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Xu
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
- The First Clinical Medicine School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chang-Song Lin
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
- The First Clinical Medicine School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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Duan L, Chen D, Shi Y, Ye S, Dou S, Feng Y. Rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1146261. [PMID: 37600807 PMCID: PMC10433205 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1146261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Object Though significant correlations between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hypothyroidism have been found in earlier observational studies, their underlying causal relationship is still unknown. Mendelian randomization (MR) was used in the current study to assess the bidirectional causation between RA and hypothyroidism. Method We gathered summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of RA and hypothyroidism in people of European descent. Then, using data from the FinnGen consortium, we replicated our findings. Three approaches were employed to assess the causal link between RA and hypothyroidism: MR-Egger, weighted median (WM), and inverse variance weighted (IVW). The pleiotropy and heterogeneity were examined using a variety of techniques, including the MR-Egger intercept, the MR-PRESSO approach, the leave-one-out method, and the Cochran's Q test. Results The study looked at a bidirectional incidental relationship between RA and hypothyroidism. The risk of hypothyroidism increased with RA (IVW odds ratio (OR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18-1.39, P = 8.30E-10), as did the risk of secondary hypothyroidism (IVW OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.05-1.21, P = 9.64E-4). The results of reverse MR analysis revealed that hypothyroidism (IVW OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.51-1.88, P = 4.87E-21) and secondary hypothyroidism (IVW OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.50-2.01, P = 1.91E-13) were linked to an increased risk of RA. Additionally, we obtain the same results in the duplicated datasets as well, which makes our results even more reliable. This study revealed no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusion The present study established a bidirectional causal link between RA and hypothyroidism. However, it differs slightly from the findings of prior observational studies, suggesting that future research should concentrate on the interaction mechanisms between RA and hypothyroidism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lincheng Duan
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Dongqing Chen
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yue Shi
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Senlin Ye
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Shulin Dou
- Meishan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Meishan Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Meishan, China
| | - Yue Feng
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Failure and multiple failure for disease modifying antirheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: Real-life evidence from a tertiary referral center in Italy. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281213. [PMID: 36730337 PMCID: PMC9894489 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease with a heterogeneous treatments' clinical response. Goals of treatment are remission and low disease activity, which are not achieved in all patients despite the introduction of early treatment and the treat to target strategy. OBJECTIVE To investigate the causes of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) discontinuation and treatment failure and multiple failure for inefficacy, and to identify possible failure predictors' according to RA patient characteristics in a real-world setting. METHODS 718 RA patients were retrospectively evaluated. Conventional synthetic (cs) and biologic (b)DMARDs treatments line/s, effectiveness, and reasons of discontinuations were evaluated. Patients failing to at least two csDMARDs or bDMARDs' drug for inefficacy were defined "csDMARDs multifailure" and "bDMARDs multifailure", respectively. Discontinuation of at least two cs- and bDMARDs was termed "global multifailure". RESULTS In total, 1422 csDMARDs and 714 bDMARDs treatment were analysed. Causes of csDMARDs discontinuation were intolerance (21.8%), inefficacy (20.2%), acute adverse reactions (5.3%) and severe infections (0.6%) while csDMARDs multifailure for inefficacy was observed in 5.7% of cases. Reasons of bDMARDs withdrawal were inefficacy (29%), intolerance (10.0%), acute adverse reaction (6.3%) and severe infections (1.5%). Altogether, 8.4% of patients were bDMARDs multifailure for inefficacy while 16.6% were global multifailure. Longstanding disease (≥ 12 months) and smoke habit, resulted as positive predictor of csDMARDs failure (OR 2.6 and OR 2.7, respectively). Thyreopathy was associated with both csDMARDs failure and global multifailure (OR 2.4 and OR 1.8, respectively). Higher prevalence of failure to at least one bDMARDs and global multifailure was detected in female than male (OR 2.3 and OR 2, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Different causes of drug discontinuation were observed on DMARDs treatments. Demographic and clinical features were identified as possible predictors of both cs- and bDMARDs treatment failure and multiple failure, underlining the need of a more personalized therapeutic approach to achieve treatment targets.
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Liu YJ, Miao HB, Lin S, Chen Z. Association between rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid dysfunction: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1015516. [PMID: 36313752 PMCID: PMC9608862 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1015516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder. Multiple studies have investigated the risk of thyroid dysfunction in patients with RA but have reached conflicting conclusions. This systematic review aimed to determine whether patients with RA are at higher risk of thyroid dysfunction. METHODS We comprehensively reviewed online literature databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, from their respective inception dates to March 25, 2022. Studies that provided data on at least one case of thyroid dysfunction in RA patients and their controls were included. Based on these data, we calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for thyroid dysfunction in RA and non-RA patients. RESULTS Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria, involving a total of 35,708 patients with RA. The meta-analysis showed that, compared with non-RA patients, RA patients had an increased risk of developing thyroid dysfunction, particularly hypothyroidism (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.78-2.84). Subgroup analysis suggested that study type and sample source of control group were the source of heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS Patients with RA are at increased risk of developing thyroid dysfunction, especially hypothyroidism. Routine biochemical examination of thyroid function in RA patients should be strengthened. Larger prospective studies are needed to explore the causal relationship between RA and thyroid dysfunction, and to investigate the impact of thyroid dysfunction on RA disease activity, drug efficacy, and medication safety. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022331142.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-jing Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
| | - Hai-bing Miao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
| | - Shu Lin
- Centre of Neurological and Metabolic Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
- Group of Neuroendocrinology, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Shu Lin, ; Zhen Chen,
| | - Zhen Chen
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shu Lin, ; Zhen Chen,
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