Emerging epigenetic targets in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a complex disorder that is characterized by irreversible and progressive destructions of joints, but its exact etiology remains mainly unknown. The occurrence and the progression of the disease entirely depend on environmental and genetic factors. In recent years, various epigenetic changes involving DNA methylation, histone modification, miRNA, X-chromosome inactivation, bromodomain, sirtuin, and many others were identified that were found to be linked to the activation and the aggressive phenotype in rheumatoid arthritis.