Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, or a disease that occurs when a person's own immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s tissues.
RA causes long-term inflammation of the tissues around the joints and other organs in the body.
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common disease, outside of the joints and bones, that causes rheumatoid arthritis and occurs most commonly in people with severe disease.
Symptoms of RA
- The most common symptoms are coughing and shortness of breath.
- Some people experience fever and chest pain, which may be intensified by coughing and deep breathing.
Doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease at UPMC work closely with nationally renowned rheumatology specialists at the UPMC Arthritis and Autoimmunity Center to develop treatments for people with ILD associated with RA.
The two centers collaborate on a number of innovative clinical research studies to better define effective treatment options and identify biologic markers to monitor disease activity and treatment responses.
Return to the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center homepage.