At present interaction peculiarities of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and respiratory system in patients with spondyloarthritеs and rheumatoid arthritis are subject to thorough investigation and reassessment.

Objective. To assess the impact of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (methotrexate) on the respiratory system in patients with spondyloarthritеs and rheumatoid arthritis.

Material and methods. The research involved 172 patients with spondyloarthritеs and rheumatoid arthritis. The patients were interviewed and examined. The multispiral computer tomography of thorax was performed in order to determine the volume and nature of lung affection. Lung function was tested by means of spirometry and body plethysmography. In order to process the data Statistica 10 software package was used.

Results. Lung disorders were found in 77,1% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were taking methotrexate while the percentage of patients with lung affection who were not taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs reached 100%. The patients with spondyloarthritеs or rheumatoid arthritis who were taking methotrexate showed significantly higher parameters of vital capacity and forced vital capacity than the patients with spondyloarthritеs or rheumatoid arthritis who were not taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

Conclusion. Lung disorders were found more rarely in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were taking methotrexate as compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were not taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Taking into account the assessment of the lung function, we can talk of absence of the negative impact of methotrexate on the respiratory system in patients with spondyloarthritеs and rheumatoid arthritis.

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