Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is not unfamiliar to many people, especially for workers who work in a damp and cold environment for a long time, as well as some elderly people who are injured by fatigue. Many of them suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and this disease is basically incurable and may also cause other side effects. However, most people do not know much about the side effects of rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, it is very necessary to understand this knowledge.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a very painful disease for many people, so it is necessary to understand the pathological causes of rheumatoid arthritis and prescribe the right medicine. Especially for those who have elderly people suffering from this disease in their family, they are even more curious about these questions.

The onset of RA may be related to genetics, infection, sex hormones, etc. The pathology of RA arthritis mainly includes proliferation of synovial lining cells, infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells in the interstitium, as well as the formation of microvessels, the formation of pannus and the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue. Modern medicine believes that rheumatoid arthritis is a disease closely related to factors such as environment, cells, viruses, genetics, sex hormones and neuropsychiatric state.

1. Bacterial factors

Experimental studies have shown that group A streptococci and peptidoglycan in their bacterial walls may be a persistent stimulus for the onset of RA. Group A streptococci exist in the body for a long time and become a persistent antigen, stimulating the body to produce antibodies, causing immune pathological damage and causing disease. The arthritis animal model created by mycoplasma is similar to human RA, but does not produce the rheumatoid factor (RF) unique to human RA. Bacteria or bacterial antigens have never been found in the joint fluid and synovial tissue of RA patients, suggesting that bacteria may be related to the onset of RA, but direct evidence is lacking.

2. Viral factors

The relationship between RA and viruses, especially Epstein-Barr virus, is one of the issues that scholars at home and abroad have paid attention to. Studies have shown that arthritis caused by EB virus infection is different from RA, and RA patients have a stronger reaction to EB virus than normal people. In the serum and synovial fluid of RA patients, there are persistently high levels of anti-EB virus-membrane antigen antibodies, but so far no EB virus nuclear antigen or capsid antigen antibodies have been found in the serum of RA patients.

(III) Genetic factors: The disease has a higher incidence in some families.

(IV) Sex hormones

Studies have shown that the male-to-female ratio of RA incidence is 1:2-4, the condition is alleviated during pregnancy, and the incidence is reduced in women taking birth control pills. Animal models show that LEW/n female mice are highly sensitive to arthritis, while male mice have a lower incidence rate. After castration or treatment with β-estradiol, the incidence of arthritis in male mice is the same as that in female mice, indicating that sex hormones play a certain role in the pathogenesis of RA.

Through the introduction of the above content, we can understand that there are many causes of chronic rheumatoid arthritis, usually including bacterial factors, viral factors, genetic factors, etc. Knowing this, family members can choose a hospital for treatment for the patient in a targeted manner, and they must follow the doctor's instructions, whether it is taking medicine or diet.