Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C in those age 60 and older in a US population based study.
OBJECTIVE
A positive association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reported in clinic based cross sectional studies. We investigated if RA and HCV are associated in a population based survey.


METHODS
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, hepatitis C and RA status were determined for subjects > or = 60 years of age. RA was defined to be present when 3 of 6 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were met.


RESULTS
Of 6596 subjects, 1827 (27.7%) were excluded due to missing data. Of the remaining 4769, 196 subjects (4.1%) met our modified ACR criteria for probable RA: 63 tested positive for anti-HCV antibodies (1.3%) while 35 were HCV RNA positive (0.7%). Two subjects had both HCV antibodies and RA, while one subject was both HCV RNA positive and had RA. HCV antibody positivity was not associated with RA (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.07-2.80). Similarly, HCV positivity by polymerase chain reaction was not associated with RA (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.10-6.19).


CONCLUSIONS
These results argue against a potential role for HCV in the etiology of RA in the US population aged 60 years and over.
Hsu
Florence C
FC
Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center and the Arthritis and Gastroenterology Sections, Seattle, Washington 98108-1532, USA.
Starkebaum
Gordon
G
Boyko
Edward J
EJ
Dominitz
Jason A
JA
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology