Smoking and disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis: Association with polymorphism at the glutathione S‐transferase M1 locus

Abstract

Our data suggest that disease outcome in female RA patients with a history of smoking is significantly worse than in those who have never smoked. Smoking was associated with the most severe disease in patients who carried the GSTM1-null polymorphism. This association may be due in part to a relationship between the GSTM1 polymorphism and RF production in smokers.