Infectious aspects and the etiopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2010 Apr;38(2-3):287-91. doi: 10.1007/s12016-009-8158-6.

Abstract

Infections are believed to contribute to the maturation of the immune system from the innate to the adaptive phases and therefore may take part in the induction of autoimmune conditions. In the current study, we present an extensive analysis conducted on sera samples of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in order to seek evidence of previous or coexisting infectious processes using the Bio-Rad BioPlex immunoassay analyzer. We detected higher rates of serological evidence of infections with Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus viruses. Our findings may indicate a role of these viruses in the pathogenesis of RA.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / microbiology*
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / complications
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / complications
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / epidemiology
  • Helicobacter Infections / complications
  • Helicobacter Infections / epidemiology
  • Helicobacter pylori
  • Humans
  • Treponema pallidum

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antibodies, Viral