Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40420239›Full record

ArticleBMC rheumatology2025

Association between hepatitis C virus infection and rheumatoid arthritis: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Lin Tang, Lei Zhang, Zhonghai Ding, Wenying Xu, Yu Liu, Zhenghong Yu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC rheumatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lin Tang *Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, China.
Lei Zhang *Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, China.
Zhonghai DingDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, China.
Wenying XuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, China.
Yu LiuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, China.
Zhenghong YuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, China. 13327800182@189.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients infected with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) often present with rheumatic symptoms, but its link to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether HCV infection is related to the risk for RA in adults.

methodsWe analyzed data from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). HCV infection and RA status were determined through questionnaires. Covariates included gender, age, race, marital status, body mass index (BMI), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and diabetes status. Multivariate logistic regression and subgroup analyses were used to assess the relationship between HCV infection and RA risk.

resultsIn this population-based study involving 5,825 participants aged 18-80 years (including 485 RA patients), we observed a significantly higher prevalence of HCV infection in the RA group compared with non-RA controls. After adjusting for covariates, multivariate logistic regression showed that HCV infection was associated with an increased risk of RA (OR = 1.93; 95%CI = 1.07-3.50, p < 0.05).

conclusionThis study demonstrates that HCV infection is associated with the risk of RA in adults, underscoring the potential value of HCV screening in RA patients for improved disease management. However, causal interpretation is limited by the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data.

Indexed as

Cross-sectional studyEpidemiologyHCVNHANESRA

Identifiers

PMID40420239
PMCPMC12105305

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.