Rheumatoid Arthritis and anti-endomysial antibodies.
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.
Nisihara
Renato Mitsunori
RM
Servico de Reumatologia da Faculdade Evangélica de Medicina do Paraná.
Skare
Thelma L
TL
Silva
Marilia Barreto
MB
Utiyama
Shirley Ramos da Rosa
SR
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
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D012155:Reticulin