Textile Dust Connected with Rheumatoid Arthritis

A study in Malaysia has found link between rheumatoid arthritis and textile dust. Fox News reported it on Feb 12, 2016. Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune system disorder which causes blunt swelling and pain in the joints. Females are more frequently affected than men.

Smoking is a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis is known to all worldwide. The new findings suggested that environmental factors could also create rheumatoid arthritis in some people.

The researchers suspected that lung tissue might be changed by textile dust and the immune response might be triggered by it. 

Since researchers are not clear about the matter that textile dust and rheumatoid arthritis are directly connected, more studies are needed to be ensured.

One of the researchers Bengtsson said that public health initiatives could play a crucial role in decreasing the burden of people particularly the people of developing countries where textile industries are common.

Researchers analyzed data on 910 Malaysian women who had no rheumatoid arthritis and 910 women who had the disease. 

Researchers conducted their study on Malaysian women only because like other developing nations, most textile workers in Malaysia are women. On the other hand, they smoke less than their male counterparts. 

The study found that the women who did not inhale the dust were 2.8 times less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than the women who inhaled the dust.

HLA-DRB1 SE, a genetic risk factor was carried by 40 percent of women who had rheumatoid arthritis.

Other factors like diet or textile industry related works might increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, one expert said it by email.

One previous research found connection between textile dust and rheumatoid arthritis which was conducted on men.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be prevented by giving up smoking and wearing masks in workplaces. The study strengthens the claim that occupation has a link to rheumatoid arthritis.