Methotrexate Therapy and High-Resolution CT Chest and Spirometry Test Findings in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

ABSTRACT Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by symmetrical erosive synovitis and progressive disability, often complicated by extra-articular manifestations especially in seropositive patients, among them, lung involvement is common, and it can include a wide spectrum of disorders, ranging from airways, pleural disease, bronchiectasis, lung nodules, to infection.

Aim of the Work: The aim of this study is to assess HRCT Chest and spirometry test findings in RA Egyptian patients, and their relationship to Methotrexate therapy, disease duration, and activity.

Patients and Methods: This was a cross sectional study which was done on 50 RA patients diagnosed according to Rheumatoid Arthritis - 2010 American college of rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism (ACR-EULAR) attending rheumatology and chest inpatient departments and outpatient clinics in Ain Shams University Hospitals.

Results: Patients were divided into two equal groups: Group A: - 25 RA patients treated with MTX only +/- low dose steroid. Group B: - 25 MTX naive RA patients (treated with DMARDs other than MTX) +/- low dose steroid.

Conclusion: We found MTX has no role in RA-ILD, there is no significant difference between MTX users and MTX naïve regarding spirometry and HR-CT.

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Key information

Conditions

Methohexitone Pulmonary Adverse Reaction Arthritis Arthritis, Rheumatoid Autoimmune Diseases Connective Tissue Diseases Immune System Diseases Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Rheumatic Diseases Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Faculty of medicine, Ain Shams University

Cairo, Egypt

About this study

This was a cross-sectional study which was done on 50 RA patients diagnosed according to Rheumatoid Arthritis - 2010 American college of rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism (ACR-EULAR) classification criteria (Aletaha et al., 2010), patients enrolled from rheumatology and chest inpatient departments and outpatient clinics in Ain Shams University Hospitals.

Patients were divided in to two equal groups:

Group A: - 25 RA patients treated with MTX only +/- low dose steroid

. Group B: - 25 MTX naive RA patients (treated with DMARDs other than MTX) +/- low dose steroid.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Age more than 18 yr rheumatoid arthritis more than one year, all patients were under RA Treatment for more than one year

Exclusion criteria

Patients with recent respiratory infection, history of pulmonary tuberculosis or other chest disorders such as COPD, bronchial asthma, vasculitis, pleural diseases, thromboembolism or pulmonary hypertension, any patient receiving drugs that induce ILD such as chemotherapeutics, antimicrobials, cardiovascular agents.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

HRCT Chest and spirometry test findings in RA Egyptian patients, and their relationship to Methotrexate therapy, disease duration, and activity.

Time frame: 7 months

50 RA patients diagnosed according to Rheumatoid Arthritis - 2010 American college of rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism (ACR-EULAR) classification criteria (Aletaha et al., 2010), patients enrolled from rheumatology and chest inpatient departments and outpatient clinics in Ain Shams University Hospitals, and had spirometry, HRCT chest to assess methotrexate pulmonary afffection

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ain Shams University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Methotrexate Therapy and High-Resolution CT Chest and Spirometry Test Findings in Egyptian Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Important dates

Study start: 2022
Primary completion: 2023
Study completion: 2023
First posted: Jan 22, 2026
Registry last updated: Jan 22, 2026

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed