Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune condition. While chiefly thought of as a joint disorder, RA has systemic effects- the clear hallmark of which is a bilateral presentation affecting the MCP & PIP joints (contrast that with osteoarthritis which is not symmetrical and often affects the DIP joints). The systemic nature of RA sees it presenting with ↑ serum inflammatory markers and mild fever. What I found most intriguing was the role synovial cells appear to play in amplifying inflammation. With the localized nature of RA, I wonder if there are unique subtypes of synovial cells at the MCP/PIP joints which make them favorable to RA pathogenesis.

#Rheumatoid #autoimmune #osteoarthritis #pathogenesis #inflammatory #inflammation #joint #msk #arthritis #TNF #CRP #RANKL #ostoblast #Citrullinated