American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2015
Observational StudyDetection of Rheumatoid Arthritis-Interstitial Lung Disease is Enhanced by Serum Biomarkers.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is highly prevalent, yet RA-ILD is underrecognized. ⋯ Clinical risk factors and autoantibodies are strongly associated with the presence of clinically evident and subclinical RA-ILD on computed tomography scan in two independent RA cohorts. A biomarker signature composed of matrix metalloproteinase 7, pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine, and surfactant protein D significantly strengthens this association. These findings may facilitate identification of RA-ILD at an earlier stage, potentially leading to decreased morbidity and mortality.