EDITORIAL - Commensal gut bacteria and the etiopathogenesis of RA

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Journal of Rheumatology

Aug 2008

Editorial

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Commensal Gut Bacteria and the Etiopathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

CHRISTOPHER J. EDWARDS, BSc, MD, FRCP,

Consultant Rheumatologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer,

Department of Rheumatology,

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust,

Southampton, United Kingdom

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Although the exact sequence of steps required to induce rheumatoid

arthritis (RA) is unclear, both genetic and environmental factors

appear to be important. In recent years the genetics of RA have been

extensively studied, with a number of important gene associations

described. These studies have confirmed the importance of major

histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes and identified other loci that

are currently being explored. However, estimates of heritability

suggest that genetic factors are only responsible for around 50% of

the risk of developing RA1. This means that environmental factors and

gene-environment interactions must also play a significant role.

Despite this understanding, much less attention has been focused on

determining the important environmental exposures involved. It has

been hard to define with certainty important environmental factors

although some success has come from the description of a strong link

between smoking and RA2.

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http://www.jrheum.com/subscribers/08/08/1477.html

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Not an MD