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Mary Jo Cameron
Professor B
SCI 154
25 January 2014
Rheumatoid Arthritis
An x-ray of deformed joints due to rheumatoid arthritis is a hard sight to see when the
disease leads to progressive deformed knees and shoulders. According to the National Institutes
of Health, about 1.5 million people in the US suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (NIH, 2013). As a
progressive disease, the prognosis is not very clear due no known cure. Rheumatoid arthritis has
many different causes, signs and symptoms, laboratory techniques to diagnosis and current
research studies to further improve care of the disease.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease in which the body begins to attack its healthy tissues
such as the synovial fluid, which is the lining of the joints. This causes the fluid to build in the
joints and cause swelling for the individual with the disease. It also begins to attack some of the
bodies’ organs such as the skin, lungs, and eyes. Normally your body’s immune system would
attack any foreign cells such as a virus’s or bacteria, but in this case, RA is an autoimmune
disease that attacks the healthy cells. According to www.arthritis.org, many people note that
their symptoms get worse over time, while others stop feeling symptoms and go into remission.
RA is a chronic disease meaning that it is incurable. Patients living with RA can only find ways
to help deal with pain while researchers try to find a cure for this disastrous disease.

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Through years of studying Rheumatoid Arthritis, researchers have yet to find the
apparent cause for RA. Although there isn’t an exact cause, many researchers have found that
there are numerous risk factors that can lead to RA. After years of studies on RA, scientist have
been able to come to the conclusion that age, gender, infection, genes, and hormones along with
proteins play a major role on discovering who has RA. Rheumatoid Arthritis can occur at any
age, but it has been seen more in middle-aged people. It has also been proven that RA is 2 to 3
times more likely to be seen in women. “A protein in the body called tumor necrosis factor
(TNF) may play a role as well. Some people with RA have too much of the protein TNF in the
affected area of the body. TNF causes inflammation in the joints, and the inflammation is what
leads to the pain and stiffness of RA” (Humira, 2013). According to Arthriti.org, in September
of 2007, researcher Peter K. Gregersen discovered 5 total genes that are almost 100% linked to
RA. According to a health community website, studies have shown that pregnancy has an affect
on RA. It is believed that once a woman has a child, the changing of the bodies hormones
influence the disease progression along with the development.
When a person is affected by Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there are very specific signs and
symptoms that occur. Though RA is an immune disorder only diagnosed through a variety blood
tests, the symptoms are very well pronounced. In the early stages, RA affects the smaller joints
and affect both sides of the body (Mayo Clinic, 2013). The smaller joints affected usually starts
in the joints of the hands and feet. The smaller joints are easier to attack. The disease will affect
symmetrical sides of the body due to the antibodies slowly attacking the body. Rheumatoid
nodules will also appear under the skin of the arms (Mayo Clinic). These firm bumps form as it
affects the tissues of the arm. As the disease progresses, the symptoms will often effect the
knees, ankles, elbows, and shoulders (Mayo Clinic, 2013). As the bigger joints are effected, the

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body becomes harder to manage and move. The person that is infected will often tend to “have
pain and stiffness for more than thirty minutes in the morning, or after a long rest” (NIH, 2013).
This is due to a long time not moving the joints leading to a stiffness.
Rheumatoid Arthritis can act in many different ways depending on the person. The joints
will be tender, warm, and swollen. There is “flares” in which there are times of increased
activity and also times of remission (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Flares will cause the body to have
high fevers and fatigue due to the disease attacking the body at a higher rate. The remission
period will make the disease seem silent in a way that it does not cause pain, swelling, or
stiffness. As the disease takes its course, the joints will start to deform and shift out of place
(Mayo Clinic, 2013). The fingers will be affected first in most cases leading to a slanted form at
the proximal interphalangeal joint. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease that becomes progressively
worse with flares and states of remission as well as chronic, pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis is very difficult due to the signs and symptoms being
very close to other diseases. While examining for RA, a doctor will check for swelling, redness,
and warmth as well as checking the reflexes and muscle strength (Mayo Clinic, 2013). They
check for this because that is the number one sign to joint issues. Also, they will check the
muscle strength since RA does not only affect the joints, but also the tissues surrounding them.
The doctor will then order multiple blood tests to be done, testing the erythrocyte sedimentation
rate (Mayo Clinic, 2013). When this rate is increased, it indicates the presence of an
inflammatory process in the body. They also do other blood tests testing the rheumatoid factor
and antibodies correlated with it. Also, after diagnosis, the doctor will have the patient get
regulatory x rays to track the progression of RA on their joints (Mayo Clinic, 2013). The

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symptoms and multiple tests are factored and compared to diagnosis the patient with rheumatoid
arthritis.
Though Rheumatoid arthritis is incurable, there is many ways to help the inflammation
and irritation that is tagged along with this disease. Physical therapy is very common among
those who are affected (NCBI, 2013). The constant range of motion work will help the joints
stay open and prevent hardening or deformation. In severe cases, the doctor could perform
multiple surgeries. Some will require a synovectomy, removing the joint lining to decrease
inflammation (NCBI, 2013). This would open up the joint, allowing for more movement. Also,
if the condition does worsen to the point where a large joint cannot be used (i.e. hip, knee), the
doctors may want to perform a replacement to allow for movement (NCBI, 2013). These
extreme cases of RA, are debilitating, but with the replacement, can add better quality of life.
There are many options for conservative rehabilitation through physical therapy but also very
invasive procedures that will help with managing the disease.
On December 18th, 2010, rheumatologist Dr. Christopher Atkins made a remarkable
finding. During a study on Rheumatoid arthritis, the Victoria-based researchers came across a
groundbreaking discovery that could potentially help find a cause for RA. Janine Pigeon, a 77-
year-old woman was a subject to the study. Researchers believe that she was given RA through
her unborn soon. After creating a hypothesis, scientist have figured out that through a
phenomenon called microchimerism, mother cells and baby cells can travel in both directions
passing through the placenta and residing within the opposite body for decades or even lifetimes.
With this begin said, microchimerism has been connected to numerous autoimmune diseases.
According to Lexis Nexis Academic, following these findings, doctors analyzed Janine’s nodules
formed by the RA from her knuckle. After testing this nodule, it was found to contain male

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DNA at the center. The researchers also found out that the DNA was from one of Janine’s sons.
This helps to prove that foreign genetic material could have triggered the immune response that
set off the RA. This little piece of discovery will be able to help scientist figure out of RA
develops in a person and whether or not if it could be curable one day.
As a progressive disease, Rheumatoid arthritis affects many people’s lives when the body
attacks the joints and tissues as if they were foreign. Though the cause and cure is yet to be pin
pointed, the health care field is working on figuring out these unknowns. The causes and
symptoms are backed up by vague tests to the blood and bones; therefore, leading to more
research to become more knowledgeable in the world of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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Teitel, Ariel. "Rheumatoid Arthritis." Rheumatoid Arthritis. U.S. National Library of Medicine,
02 Feb. 2012. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
"The Genetics Behind Rheumatoid Arthritis." The Genetics Behind Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Arthritis Foundation, 5 Sept. 2007. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
Thomas, Donald E. "Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Factors & Causes." - Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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