Do u know why there is association between thalassemia minor and seronegative arthritis?
Simply put, seronegative arthritis is arthritis negative for the presence of rheumatoid factor (-RF). People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often have this factor, BUT not always. In other words, one can have RA without having rheumatoid factor. If people have RA with positive RF, then they have seropositive arthritis. Seronegative arthritis covers ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter’s, Psoriatic arthritis (AS, ReA, PsA) for example. Both types, however, do share an autoimmune component. I found this blurb from 1999 as well (link below): “Unlike the description of the “classic triad,” arthralgia is the most common symptom of hemochromatosis. However, nothing is distinctive about this symptom. Arthritis is common and often misdiagnosed as seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. A pattern of arthritis involving the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of the second and third fingers suggests hemochromatosis” From Wikipedia: “Thalassemia (British spelling, “thalassaemia”) is an i
