As patients with cystic fibrosis live longer, associated conditions such as arthritis have been increasingly recognised and described. The cause of cystic fibrosis arthritis is not known. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of infection in the pathogenesis of arthritis Fifty patients attending the West of Scotland Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre were included in the study. Patients who suffered from arthritis had more severe respiratory and pancreatic disease. It is possible that antibodies against bacterial or viral antigens play a major role in the pathogenesis of arthritis in cystic fibrosis patients by causing immune complex deposition on the synovial membrane.
Further study is required.