Causes Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Causes of rheumatoid arthritis are still unknown. Although, the infectious agents such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses have long been assumed to be the cause of rheumatoid arthritis but none has been proven to be the cause. The causes of rheumatoid arthritis are very active area of worldwide research.

Some scientists believe that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited. It is assumed that some infections or factors in the environment might trigger the immune system to attack the body's own tissues, ensuing in inflammation in different body organs such as the lungs or eyes.

Abnormal Autoimmune Response

In spite of of the exact trigger, the result is an immune system that is geared up to promote inflammation in the joints and sometimes in other body tissues. Immune cells, called lymphocytes, are activated and chemical messengers (cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor/TNF and interleukin-1/IL-1) are expressed in the inflamed areas.

As with other forms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis includes joint inflammation. A membrane called the synovium lines each of your movable joints. When you have rheumatoid arthritis, white blood cells, whose usual job is to attack unwanted invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, move from your bloodstream into your synovium.

Here, these blood cells appear to play an significant role in causing the synovial membrane to become inflamed (synovitis). This inflammation results in the release of proteins that, over months or years, cause thickening of the synovium.

These proteins can also damage cartilage, bone, tendons and ligaments. Gradually, the joint loses its shape and alignment. Finally, it may be destroyed.

Causes Of Rheumatoid Arthritis – Environmental Factors

Environmental factors also seem to play some role in the causes of rheumatoid arthritis. Recently, scientists have stated that smoking increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

• Infections are being said to be an environmental trigger that causes rheumatoid arthritis, although bacteria and viruses have been studied, no single organism has been proven to be the primary trigger for the autoimmune response and successive damaging inflammation.
• A number of chemicals are being studied as triggers or causes of rheumatoid arthritis like silica which was linked with rheumatoid arthritis in a 2003 study. Other chemicals are still under investigation but are still very difficult to determine causal effects of any specific chemical.

Genetic Susceptibility

Genetic factors may play some role in what causes rheumatoid arthritis, however studies suggest that it is not necessarily passed on from generation to generation, although the presence of genes that influence the tendency of rheumatoid arthritis may worsen the disease process.

It should be pointed out that defective genes not only can be inherited but not all who inherit the gene will develop the disease, it may be mutated by environmental or other factors. This theory needs more research to determine specific genetic contributions as a factor that causes rheumatoid arthritis.