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Current Rheumatology Reviews

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1573-3971
ISSN (Online): 1875-6360

Research Article

Etiological Features of Liver Involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Author(s): Meriem Sellami *, Olfa Saidane , Ines Mahmoud , Aicha Ben Tekaya , Rawdha Tekaya and Leila Abdelmoula

Volume 16, Issue 4, 2020

Page: [332 - 336] Pages: 5

DOI: 10.2174/1573397115666191007121605

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: Liver involvement is not considered a typical extra-articular manifestation and has rarely been studied in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

We aimed to identify the prevalence and aetiologies of liver disease in RA patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 150 patients with RA enrolled over 5 years (2010- 2015). The clinical and paraclinical features of RA were analyzed. The clinical and biological characteristics of liver impairment and its aetiologies were collected.

Results: One hundred and fifty RA patients (124 women) with a mean age of 57.09 years and a mean RA duration of 7.52 years were included. Liver involvement was diagnosed in 66 patients (44%). The liver disease was asymptomatic in 94% of the cases, revealed by increased gammaglutamyl transferase levels in 74% of the patients. The aetiologies of liver involvement were hepatotoxicity of medications in 38 cases (57%), hepatitis B and C in 14 patients (21%), fatty liver disease in 10 cases (15%), autoimmune liver disease in 2 patients (3%), hydatid cyst in 1 case (2%), and liver angiomas in 1 case (2%). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and methotrexate were the drugs most often involved in the genesis of hepatotoxicity (21% and 20% of the cases, respectively).

Conclusion: Liver involvement occurred in 44% of RA patients. Aetiologies were mainly hepatotoxicity and viral hepatitis B and C. Patients with RA should be systematically screened for liver disease, which is rarely symptomatic.

Keywords: Diagnosis, hepatitis, hepatotoxicity, liver involvement, rheumatoid arthritis, extra-articular manifestations.


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