title: Rheumatoid Arthritis and anti-endomysial antibodies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several autoimmune diseases may occur in the same patient. Celiac disease (CD) is found in patients with diabetes mellitus type-1 and thyroiditis. Few studies have addressed the association between CD and rheumatic disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence of anti-endomysial antibodies in RA patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of IgA anti-endomysial antibodies (EmA-IgA) was evaluated in 85 RA patients and 97 healthy controls through indirect immunoflourescence using human umbilical cord as substrate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the RA patients or healthy controls was positive for EmA-IgA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not find an association between RA and anti-endomysial antibodies in the studied population.
authors.affiliation: Servico de Reumatologia da Faculdade Evangélica de Medicina do Paraná.
authors.forename: Renato Mitsunori
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nisihara
authors.forename: Thelma L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Skare
authors.forename: Marilia Barreto
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Shirley Ramos da Rosa
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Utiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal; D012155:Reticulin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D012155:Reticulin