REVIEW - Recent developments in the immunobiology of RA

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Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008, 10:204doi:10.1186/ar2370

Published: 14 March 2008

Review

Recent developments in the immunobiology of rheumatoid arthritis

K Andersson , Ching Li and Fionula M Brennan

Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College Faculty of

Medicine, 1 Aspenlea Road, London W6 8LH, UK

Abstract

Progress into the understanding of immunopathology in rheumatoid

arthritis is reviewed in the present article with regard to

pro-inflammatory cytokine production, cell activation and recruitment,

and osteoclastogenesis. Studies highlight the potential importance of

T helper 17 cells and regulatory T cells in driving and suppressing

inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, respectively, and highlight

other potential T-cell therapeutic targets. The genetic associations

of the HLA shared epitope alleles with antibodies to citrullinated

peptides in rheumatoid arthritis patients indicate that T cells are

providing help to B cells to produce autoantibodies, and there is

increasing evidence that these autoantibodies are pathogenic in

rheumatoid arthritis.

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Read the entire article here:

http://arthritis-research.com/content/10/2/204/?mkt=159312

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Not an MD