EDITORIAL - Can the events of early life influence the development of RA?

[Guest guest]

Journal of Rheumatology

Editorial

Jan 2010

Can the Events of Early Life Influence the Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

I am often asked the same question by newly diagnosed patients, “Why

me? Why did I get rheumatoid arthritis?” The easy response is to trot

out an answer that both genes and environmental factors are important.

However, it is difficult to provide detail to the sequence of events,

and the relative importance of each, needed to induce the chronic

inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Genetic factors are clearly important. HLA-DRB1 alleles have

repeatedly been shown to be associated with the development of RA.

Genome-wide studies have also identified other genes both within and

outside the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)1. In contrast,

advances in our understanding of the role of the environment have

often been slower and received less attention. Nevertheless, progress

has been made. This is particularly true for exposure to tobacco smoke

that has been shown in many studies to be a strong risk factor for the

development of RA2. Smoking exposure is also a key example of the

importance of interactions between genes and environment.

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Read the full editorial here:

http://www.jrheum.org/content/37/1/1.full

Not an MD