Study of the effect of multiple pregnancy on the course and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis disease

ABSTRACT

In order to assess the effect of frequent pregnancies on the course and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis disease. 39 female patients [age ranged from 25 to 50 years with a mean +/- S.E. 34.2 +/- 2.11] with rheumatoid arthritis [21 were nulliparous women and 18 were multiparous women] were subjected to laboratory and clinical parameters which proved to be valuable in determining the course and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis disease such as, rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody positivity, joint erosion and deformities, subcutaneous nodules and associated Sjogren syndrome. The incidences of rheumatoid factor with high titre, joint erosions and joint deformities were significantly higher in the multiparous women group [66%, 72%, 33% respectively] than in the nulliparous women [47%, 43%, 14% respectively] [P< 0.01] suggesting that the erosive nature of the disease was commonly observed after successive pregnancies. However it is not the same condition for the anti nuclear antibody positivity and the presence of subcutaneous nodules which showed no significant difference between the nulliparous and multiparous women groups [P > 0.05]. In contrast sjogren syndrome was observed in nulliparous women group [71%] with a higher significant difference than in the multiparous women group [39%, P > 0.01] multiple pregnancies may have an untoward effect on the course of rheumatoid arthritis disease