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Wiese AD, Griffin MR, Stein CM, Mitchel EF, Grijalva CG. Opioid Analgesics and the Risk of Serious Infections Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.). 2016 Feb;68(68). 323-31. NIHMSID: NIHMS729997.
Abstract
Animal studies and in vitro human studies suggest that certain opioid analgesics impair crucial immune functions. This study was undertaken to determine whether opioid use is associated with increased risk of serious infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).