Morbidity and mortality rates are higher in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than in the general population. Ischemic heart disease and heart failure now represent one of the most common…
Initially suggested by the presence of rheumatoid factor autoantibodies, multiple pathogenic roles for B cells (both antibody-mediated and antibody-independent) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) now are supported by a growing body…
In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cells within the inflamed synovium and pannus elaborate a variety of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and IL-17, that contribute to…
Small-molecule kinase inhibitors are increasingly taking center stage in the quest for new drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). By targeting kinases, small-molecule inhibitors can exert potent anti-inflammatory…
Immunologic models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have to take into account that the disease occurs at an age when immunocompetence is declining and in a host whose immune system shows…
Identification of interleukin-17 (IL-17) as a powerful proinflammatory cytokine and the recent recognition of a T-helper cell subset that secretes it have focused attention on the role of IL-17 and…
Understanding the pathogenesis of joint inflammation and destruction in rheumatoid arthritis involves dissection of the cellular and molecular interactions that occur in synovial tissue. Development of effective targeted therapies has…
The purpose of this article is to place these genetic discoveries in the context of current and future therapeutic strategies for patients with RA. More specifically, this article focuses on…
Innate immunity, with macrophages playing a central role, is critically important in the pathogenesis of RA. Although environmental insults such as smoking have been implicated in the initiation of rheumatoid…
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) likely develops in several phases, beginning with genetic risk, followed by asymptomatic autoimmunity, then finally, clinically apparent disease. Investigating the phases of disease that exist prior to…
