Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, characterized by symmetrical peripheral polyarthritis that leads to joint deformity and destruction. Intersticial lung disease (ILD) is a common complication of RA, with high morbidity and mortality. This is a literature review and synthesis of results from published scientific articles indexed in Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE). Risk factors for ILD-RA are well established, such as advanced age, male gender, smoking and seropositivity for rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide. However, altered pulmonary function, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) tests are not well established as consolidated risk factors.