Abstract:Background
It has been stated that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia (FM) can simultaneously affect patients. At the same time DAS28 values tend to be higher in RA patients whom have also developed FM and this might cause a more aggressive therapeutic approach and further misinterpretation of the clinical outcome in this group of patients.
Objectives
To study the effect and beneficial outcome of remissive therapy in a Romanian RA cohort diagnosed with concomitant FM
Methods
The initial group include… Show more
“…It was proved that women suffering from RA and with autoimmune hypothyroidism receive higher disease-severity scoring results in comparison to women without Hashimoto's disease [11]. Furthermore, women with AITD and RA experience longer periods of morning stiffness than women without AITD.…”
Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes (APSs), also called autoimmune polyglandular syndromes, are a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by the co-occurrence of dysfunctions of several (at least two) endocrine glands. They develop under the influence of environmental factors in genetically predisposed people. Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes may accompany autoimmune rheumatic diseases and worsen their course – APS-2 and APS-3 are the most common. The APS-2 includes the coexistence of, e.g. Hashimoto’s disease, celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In APS-3, rheumatic diseases such as RA, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjögren’s syndrome may coexist with Hashimoto’s disease, type 1 diabetes and hypogonadism or other endocrinopathies.
Undiagnosed endocrine diseases may be the reason for the intensification of metabolic disorders observed in the course of rheumatic diseases, cause the ineffectiveness of rheumatological treatment and also increase the frequency of bone fractures due to osteoporosis, cardiovascular complications and even miscarriages when coexistent, e.g. Hashimoto’s disease with hypothyroiditis, which increases the risk of pregnancy loss.
It is important to be able to conduct an extensive interview, paying attention to the symptoms of possible endocrinopathy as well as the features of other autoimmune disorders in the physical examination (e.g. vitiligo or darkening of the skin in Addison’s disease). Depending on the history and physical examination, screening for various APSs is advised.
“…It was proved that women suffering from RA and with autoimmune hypothyroidism receive higher disease-severity scoring results in comparison to women without Hashimoto's disease [11]. Furthermore, women with AITD and RA experience longer periods of morning stiffness than women without AITD.…”
Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes (APSs), also called autoimmune polyglandular syndromes, are a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by the co-occurrence of dysfunctions of several (at least two) endocrine glands. They develop under the influence of environmental factors in genetically predisposed people. Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes may accompany autoimmune rheumatic diseases and worsen their course – APS-2 and APS-3 are the most common. The APS-2 includes the coexistence of, e.g. Hashimoto’s disease, celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In APS-3, rheumatic diseases such as RA, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjögren’s syndrome may coexist with Hashimoto’s disease, type 1 diabetes and hypogonadism or other endocrinopathies.
Undiagnosed endocrine diseases may be the reason for the intensification of metabolic disorders observed in the course of rheumatic diseases, cause the ineffectiveness of rheumatological treatment and also increase the frequency of bone fractures due to osteoporosis, cardiovascular complications and even miscarriages when coexistent, e.g. Hashimoto’s disease with hypothyroiditis, which increases the risk of pregnancy loss.
It is important to be able to conduct an extensive interview, paying attention to the symptoms of possible endocrinopathy as well as the features of other autoimmune disorders in the physical examination (e.g. vitiligo or darkening of the skin in Addison’s disease). Depending on the history and physical examination, screening for various APSs is advised.
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