Epstein-Barr virus and RA: is there a link?

[Guest guest]

Arthritis Res Ther. 2006 Jan 16;8(1):204 [Epub ahead of print]

Epstein-Barr virus and rheumatoid arthritis: is there a link?

Costenbader KH, Karlson EW.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and

Allergy, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street,

Boston, MA 02115, USA. KCostenbader@....

ABSTRACT : Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease

characterized by chronic, destructive, debilitating arthritis. Its etiology

is unknown; it is presumed that environmental factors trigger development in

the genetically predisposed. Epstein-Barr virus, a nearly ubiquitous virus

in the human population, has generated great interest as a potential

trigger. This virus stimulates polyclonal lymphocyte expansion and persists

within B lymphocytes for the host's life, inhibited from reactivating by the

immune response. In latent and replicating forms, it has immunomodulating

actions that could play a role in the development of this autoimmune

disease. The evidence linking Epstein-Barr virus and rheumatoid arthritis is

reviewed.

PMID: 16542469

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=16542469

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org