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Clinical connection between rheumatoid arthritis and liver damage

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Abstract

When liver damage is present in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether it is a hepatic manifestation of RA, associated primary liver disease or hepatotoxic liver disease which developed during the treatment of RA. Liver damage during RA is most common in the form of asymptomatic abnormal liver tests. Occasionally, liver damage may progress to cirrhosis. Patients with RA are more susceptible to an associated autoimmune liver disease. Medications used in rheumatology are often hepatotoxic and it is difficult to differentiate between hepatic manifestations of the primary disease and potential hepatotoxicity of the administered medications. The significance of the paper is in the fact that it includes the most relevant and the latest information on this commonly present problem in clinical practice. The aim of the author is to provide comprehensive but at the same time concise data which will be useful to the doctors who come into contact with RA patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic liver disease. Timely diagnosis and treatment of liver disease in RA patients can significantly influence the course and outcome of rheumatoid arthritis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank dr Lara Zebic BDS from Birmingham in England, for her helpful advice.

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BRD prepared the first draft of the manuscript and contributed to the final version of the paper. STR, VZ and SG read, corrected and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Biljana Radovanović-Dinić.

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Radovanović-Dinić, B., Tešić-Rajković, S., Zivkovic, V. et al. Clinical connection between rheumatoid arthritis and liver damage. Rheumatol Int 38, 715–724 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-018-4021-5

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