Silica Dust Exposure Increases Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Swedish National Registry Case–Control Study

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease with unknown etiology. This study examines if silica dust exposure increases the risk for seropositive and seronegative RA. METHODS: A nationwide registry case–control study was conducted that included all cases of RA in Sweden between 2005 and 2016. In total, 31,139 cases with two matched controls were included. A JEM was used to estimate exposure. RESULTS: Silica dust exposure was associated with a statistically significant increase in odds ratio (OR) for seropositive (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.40) and seronegative (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.46) RA among men. CONCLUSION: This study found an increased OR for RA in silica-exposed men. The OR was equal for seropositive and seronegative RA. These findings further support the hypothesis that silica dust may be a trigger for RA.