Prevalence and Incidence of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Events Are Elevated Prior to the Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis in First-Degree Relatives.

The aim of this study was to characterize infection events in a longitudinal cohort of first-degree relatives (FDR) of probands with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and explore their associations with RA development. To this end, newly diagnosed RA patients ( = 283), unaffected related FDR and age-matched healthy women were ascertained from the Caucasian triple women prospective Tatarstan cohort. In this cohort initiated in 1997, 26/283 (9.

Clinical Characteristics of Pruritus in Systemic Sclerosis Vary According to the Autoimmune Subtype.

Pruritus is a frequent symptom in systemic sclerosis (SSc), with a prevalence of 40-65%, but its pathophysiology is poorly understood. This study investigated the immunological component of pruritus. Fifty-six patients with SSc responded to a standardized questionnaire regarding both SSc disease and pruritus characteristics.

Associations between Viral Infection History Symptoms, Granulocyte Reactive Oxygen Species Activity, and Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease in Untreated Women at Onset: Results from a Longitudinal Cohort Study of Tatarstan Women.

To evaluate the effects of infectious episodes at early stages of rheumatoid arthritis (eRA) development, 59 untreated eRA patients, 77 first-degree relatives, from a longitudinal Tatarstan women cohort, were included, and compared to 67 healthy women without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in their family history. At inclusion, informations were collected regarding both the type and incidence of infectious symptom episodes in the preceding year, and granulocyte reactive oxygen species (ROS) were studied at the basal level and after stimulation with serum-treated zymosan (STZ). In the eRA group, clinical [disease activity score (DAS28), health assessment questionnaire] and biological parameters associated with inflammation (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein) or with RA [rheumatoid factor, anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP2) antibodies] were evaluated.

Memory B Cells and Response to Abatacept in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Abatacept is a fusion protein (CTLA4-Ig) and therapeutic molecule labeled for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Abatacept acts both by disrupting the CD28-mediated activation of T cells and by interacting with CD80/CD86 molecules present on antigen presenting cells such as monocytes and memory B cells. Accordingly and to evaluate clinical and biological parameters associated with response to abatacept, a retrospective monocentric study was conducted in 43 patients with RA, and the clinical response was evaluated at 6 months according to EULAR response criteria.

How Rheumatoid Arthritis Can Result from Provocation of the Immune System by Microorganisms and Viruses.

The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), similar to development of a majority of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, is largely due to an inappropriate or inadequate immune response to environmental challenges. Among these challenges, infectious agents are the undisputed leaders. Since the 1870s, an impressive list of microorganisms suspected of provoking RA has formed, and the list is still growing.