Early environmental factors and rheumatoid arthritis
Early environmental factors and rheumatoid arthritis
The precise cause of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains uncertain. In recent years there has been extensive investment in pursuing genes important in RA. However, estimates suggest that the risk of developing RA is at most 50% determined by genes. There has been limited success defining the environmental factors important in developing RA. We hypothesize that this lack of success may be due to a concentration on the time around disease onset. There is evidence of production of the autoantibodies rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) years before RA becomes clinically apparent. In addition, early life events including intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) may have long lasting effects on immune function. We review the evidence that the early environment through effects on growth and infectious exposure may influence the likelihood of developing autoimmune diseases such as RA
growth, early-life, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid factor, nosp, protein, intrauterine growth, environment, environmental, function, review, peptides, disease, c-reactive protein, time, exposure, gene, risk
1-5
Edwards, C.J.
f3c756df-8b83-4c2a-9e25-bd4820e75d28
Cooper, C.
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
2006
Edwards, C.J.
f3c756df-8b83-4c2a-9e25-bd4820e75d28
Cooper, C.
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Abstract
The precise cause of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains uncertain. In recent years there has been extensive investment in pursuing genes important in RA. However, estimates suggest that the risk of developing RA is at most 50% determined by genes. There has been limited success defining the environmental factors important in developing RA. We hypothesize that this lack of success may be due to a concentration on the time around disease onset. There is evidence of production of the autoantibodies rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) years before RA becomes clinically apparent. In addition, early life events including intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) may have long lasting effects on immune function. We review the evidence that the early environment through effects on growth and infectious exposure may influence the likelihood of developing autoimmune diseases such as RA
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Published date: 2006
Keywords:
growth, early-life, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid factor, nosp, protein, intrauterine growth, environment, environmental, function, review, peptides, disease, c-reactive protein, time, exposure, gene, risk
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 61071
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/61071
PURE UUID: 5651c0fc-1bd1-4aad-a2fd-4368d90e93f0
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 10 Sep 2008
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:44
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
C.J. Edwards
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
