Shift in perspective: autoimmunity protecting against rheumatoid arthritis.

Ann Rheum Dis

Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden

Published: April 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is linked to high levels of special proteins called autoantibodies that can start the disease.
  • Scientists found that some of these autoantibodies can actually help protect mice from arthritis instead of causing it.
  • They also discovered that healthy people have special immune cells that decrease in number in RA patients, which might help explain how the disease develops.

Article Abstract

A hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the increased levels of autoantibodies preceding the onset and contributing to the classification of the disease. These autoantibodies, mainly anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor, have been assumed to be pathogenic and many attempts have been made to link them to the development of bone erosion, pain and arthritis. We and others have recently discovered that most cloned ACPA protect against experimental arthritis in the mouse. In addition, we have identified suppressor B cells in healthy individuals, selected in response to collagen type II, and these cells decrease in numbers in RA. These findings provide a new angle on how to explain the development of RA and maybe also other complex autoimmune diseases preceded by an increased autoimmune response.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ard-2023-225237DOI Listing

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