Abstract
To evaluate longitudinal alterations in pulmonary function, 63 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with previously reported reduced pulmonary diffusing capacity were re-examined in an 8-year follow-up study. Cross-sectional examination revealed normal values for vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and diffusing capacity per litre alveolar volume (KCO). Total diffusing capacity (DLCO; P>0.0001), maximal expiratory flow at 75% of expired VC (MEF 75; P>0.0001) and MEF 50 (P>0.01) were decreased. Longitudinal evaluation revealed unchanged MEF50, MEF75 and FEV1, whereas increases in DLCO (P>0.0001) and KCO (P>0.0001) and a decrease in VC (P>0.05) were found. The longitudinal changes in diffusing capacity were unrelated to patient age, disease duration, disease activity in the study period or pulmonary function at the first examination. Thus, in patients suffering from RA, the most prominent functional pulmonary abnormality, decreased diffusing capacity, appeared to improve in the course of time, despite a slight decrease in VC and continued articular disease activity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ellman P, Ball RE (1948) “Rheumatoid disease” with joint and pulmonary manifestations. BMJ 2:816
Raven RV, Wever FP, Price LW (1948) Necrobiotic nodules of rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 7:63–75
Petty PL, Wilkins M (1966) The five manifestations of rheumatoid lung. Dis Chest 49:75–82
Popper MSD, Bogdonof ML, Hughes RL (1972) Interstitial rheumatic lung disease. Chest 62:243–250
Brannan HM, Good CA, Divertie MB et al (1964) Pulmonary disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis. JAMA 21:914–918
Martel W, Abell M, Mikkelsen WM et al (1968) Pulmonary and pleural lesions in rheumatoid disease. Radiology 90:641–653
Oxholm P, Madsen EB, Manthorpe R et al (1982) Pulmonary function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 11:109–112
Laitinen O, Salorinne Y, Poppius H (1973) Respiratory function in systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 32:531–535
Andonopoulos AP, Constantopoulos SH, Drosos AA et al (1988) Pulmonary function of nonsmoking patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the presence and absence of secondary Sjögren's syndrome, a controlled study. Respiration 53:251–258
Ropes MV, Bennett GA, Cobb S (et al (1958) 1958 revision of diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. Bull Rheum Dis 9:175
Cotes JE (1979) Lung function. Assessment and application in medicine, 4th ed. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford
Mielke H, Daniel W, Deicher H, Sybrecht VH et al (1987) A three-year prospective study of systemic manifestation in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 62:26–34
Cruickshank B (1954) The arteritis of rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 13:136–146
Bywaters EGL (1957) Peripheral vascular obstruction in rheumatoid arthritis and its relationship to other vascular lesions. Ann Rheum Dis 16:84–103
Huang CT, Lyons HA (1966) Comparison of pulmonary function in patients with systemic lupus eryhtematosus, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis. Am Rev Respir Dis 93:865–875
Roschmann RA, Rothenburg RJ (1987) Pulmonary fibrosis in rheumatoid arthritis: a review of clinical features and therapy. Semin Arthritis Rheum 16:174–185
Frank DT, Weg JG, Harkelroad LE et al (1973) Pulmonary dysfunction in rheumatic disease. Chest 63:27–34
van der Schee AC, Dinkla BA, Festen JJM (1989) Penicillamine for interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis. Respiration 56:134–136
Weinrib L, Sharma OP, Quismorio O (1990) A long-term study of interstitial lung disease in systemic lupus erythematosus. Semin Arthritis Rheum 20:48–56
Linstow M, Kriegbaum NJ, Backer V et al (1990) A follow-upstudy of pulmonary function in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Rheumatol 10:47–49
Schatz M, Patterson R, Fink J (1979) Immunologic lung disease. N Engl J Med 300:1310
Hazes JMW, Dijkmans BAC, Vandenbroucke JP et al (1990) Lifestyle and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Ann Rheum Dis 49:980–982
Mountz JD, Turner RA, Collins et al (1984) Rheumatoid arthritis and small airways function. Arthritis Rheum 27:728–736
Tuomi T, Helioevaara M, Palosuo T et al (1990) Smoking, lung function, and rheumatoid factors. Ann Rheum Dis 49:753–756
Schapira D, Nahir M, Scharf Y (1985) Pulmonary injury induced by gold salts treatment. Rev Roum Med Med Int 23:259–263
Chakravarty KK, Webley M (1990) The effect of gold and penicillamine in pulmonary function in rheumatoid arthritis — a longitudinal study. Br Soc Rheum 7th annual meeting 29:[Suppl no. 2]283
Carson CW, Cannon CW, Egger MJ et al (1987) Pulmonary disease during the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with low dose pulse methotrexate. Semin Arthritis Rheum 16:186–195
Erhart CC, Mumford PA, Vables PJW et al (1989) Factors predicting a poor life prognosis in rheumatoid arthritis: an eight year prospective study. Ann Rheum Dis 48:7–13
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Linstow, M., Ulrik, C.S., Kriegbaum, N.J. et al. An 8-year follow-up study of pulmonary function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatol Int 14, 115–118 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300812
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300812