GAN and rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory and systemic disease characterized by extensive synovitis resulting in erosions of articular cartilage and marginal bone that lead to joint destruction.1 RA is considered an autoimmune disease since the production of the rheumatoid factor (RF), an autoantibody directed against determinants on the Fc fragment of immunoglobulin (Ig) G molecules, was first observed.