2. INTRODUCTION
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic
autoimmune inflammatory disorder affecting many
joints in hands nd feet leading to:-
• Decline in functional status.
• Work disability.
• Systemic Complications.
• Co-morbidity (is the presence of one or more
additional disorders).
• Increased mortality.
3. PATHOGENESIS
The exact cause of RA is still unknown ,but research suggests that it is a
multifactorial disease, meaning that it is caused by a combination of genetic ,
environmental , and immunological factors.
GENETICS FACTORS: there is a genetic component to RA as individual with a
family history of disease are more likely to develop it themselves.
Certain genetic markers , such as the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, have
been associated with n increased risk of RA.
Autoimmunity : RA is an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune system
mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues.
In RA ,the immune system trgets the synovium membrane that lines the joints
leading to chronic inflammation.
4. CONT..
Synovial inflammation: in RA the immune response triggers n
inflammatory cascade within the synovium.
This leads to infiltration of immune cells such as T-cells, B-cells
