Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature review

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is rarely reported among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). RA treatment in these patients is believed to be more challenging due to fear of increasing the risk of infection and complications of SCD. We are reporting 7 patients with concurrent SCD and RA. The average...

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Main Authors: Abdallah Alqethami, Sabri Alsaeedi, Samera Felemban, Abdulelah Qadi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PAGEPress Publications 2025-01-01
Series:Reumatismo
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Online Access:https://www.reumatismo.org/reuma/article/view/1682
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author Abdallah Alqethami
Sabri Alsaeedi
Samera Felemban
Abdulelah Qadi
author_facet Abdallah Alqethami
Sabri Alsaeedi
Samera Felemban
Abdulelah Qadi
author_sort Abdallah Alqethami
collection DOAJ
description Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is rarely reported among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). RA treatment in these patients is believed to be more challenging due to fear of increasing the risk of infection and complications of SCD. We are reporting 7 patients with concurrent SCD and RA. The average age at the time of the diagnosis of RA was 33.3±12.6 years (ranging from 16 to 53 years), and most were women (5/7). Most of the patients were positive for rheumatoid factor (6/7) or anticyclic citrullinated peptide (6/7). Four patients were treated with hydroxyurea. The most used antirheumatic drugs were methotrexate (7/7), biologic agents (5/7), and prednisone (4/7). Two patients were in remission, four had low and one had high disease activity. Four patients (4/7) had avascular necrosis, two in the shoulders and two in the hip joints. Four patients had emergency visits or hospitalizations within one year of the diagnosis of RA, but none had blood transfusions, infections, or death. The start of antirheumatic medication was not associated with an increased risk of infection, blood transfusions, emergency visits, or hospitalizations, nor with a worsening of laboratory measures. The findings suggest that the treatment of RA in patients with SCD should follow the same strategy as in patients without SCD. However, treatment should be individualized according to the individual patient's risk of infection and SCD complications.
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spelling doaj-art-8ab0c5feb33e4cca8ee12842b9519fb92025-01-08T02:30:20ZengPAGEPress PublicationsReumatismo0048-74492240-26832025-01-0110.4081/reumatismo.2025.1682Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature reviewAbdallah Alqethami0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9155-7564Sabri Alsaeedi1Samera Felemban2Abdulelah Qadi3King Fahad Hospital, JeddahKing Fahad Hospital, JeddahKing Fahad Hospital, JeddahKing Fahad Hospital, Jeddah Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is rarely reported among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). RA treatment in these patients is believed to be more challenging due to fear of increasing the risk of infection and complications of SCD. We are reporting 7 patients with concurrent SCD and RA. The average age at the time of the diagnosis of RA was 33.3±12.6 years (ranging from 16 to 53 years), and most were women (5/7). Most of the patients were positive for rheumatoid factor (6/7) or anticyclic citrullinated peptide (6/7). Four patients were treated with hydroxyurea. The most used antirheumatic drugs were methotrexate (7/7), biologic agents (5/7), and prednisone (4/7). Two patients were in remission, four had low and one had high disease activity. Four patients (4/7) had avascular necrosis, two in the shoulders and two in the hip joints. Four patients had emergency visits or hospitalizations within one year of the diagnosis of RA, but none had blood transfusions, infections, or death. The start of antirheumatic medication was not associated with an increased risk of infection, blood transfusions, emergency visits, or hospitalizations, nor with a worsening of laboratory measures. The findings suggest that the treatment of RA in patients with SCD should follow the same strategy as in patients without SCD. However, treatment should be individualized according to the individual patient's risk of infection and SCD complications. https://www.reumatismo.org/reuma/article/view/1682Rheumatoid arthritissickle cell diseasetreatmentoutcomeSaudi Arabia
spellingShingle Abdallah Alqethami
Sabri Alsaeedi
Samera Felemban
Abdulelah Qadi
Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature review
Reumatismo
Rheumatoid arthritis
sickle cell disease
treatment
outcome
Saudi Arabia
title Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature review
title_full Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature review
title_fullStr Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature review
title_full_unstemmed Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature review
title_short Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease: case series and literature review
title_sort coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease case series and literature review
topic Rheumatoid arthritis
sickle cell disease
treatment
outcome
Saudi Arabia
url https://www.reumatismo.org/reuma/article/view/1682
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AT sabrialsaeedi coexistingrheumatoidarthritisandsicklecelldiseasecaseseriesandliteraturereview
AT samerafelemban coexistingrheumatoidarthritisandsicklecelldiseasecaseseriesandliteraturereview
AT abdulelahqadi coexistingrheumatoidarthritisandsicklecelldiseasecaseseriesandliteraturereview