Serum cytokines and chemokines are associated with cancer and lung cancer mortality in men with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), independent of multiple factors that include age, smoking status, and prevalent cancer, a recent study found. Researchers followed 1,190 men (mean age 64.5) in the Veterans Affairs RA registry from enrollment until death or December 2013. Patients had established disease (median 8.7 years), were seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF) (81%) or anti-CCP antibody (77%), and had frequent smoking history (82% current or former). Associations of cytokines with cancer mortality were examined using multivariable competing-risks regression. They found:

• There were 60 cancer deaths (30 from lung cancer) occurring over 5,307 patient-years of follow-up.

• 7 of 17 analytes examined were individually associated with cancer mortality.

• Cytokine score was associated with overall cancer and lung cancer mortality in multivariable analysis.

• Those in the highest quartile of cytokine score had a more than 2-fold increased risk of overall cancer mortality and 6-fold increase risk of lung cancer mortality, referent to the lowest quartile.

• A synergistic interaction between current smoking and high cytokine score was observed.

Citation: England BR, Sokolove J, Robinson WH, Thiele GM, et al. Associations of circulating cytokines and chemokines with cancer mortality in with rheumatoid arthritis. [Published online ahead of print April 25, 2016]. Arthritis Rheumatol. doi:10.1002/art.39735.