Is there a link between rheumatoid factors and typhoid fever? A report on three consecutive cases and literature review.

Although the presence of rheumatoid factors in clinical practice is always indicative of rheumatoid disorders, there is also a link between rheumatoid factors and infection. The presence of rheumatoid factors in the course of typhoid fever has only rarely been described in the literature. Reported herein are the cases of 3 consecutive patients with typhoid fever, one of whom had extremely high levels of rheumatoid factors, which may be considered of clinical significance, though the other 2 cases were negative for rheumatoid factors. This study indicates that the link between rheumatoid factors and typhoid fever remains controversial.