rheumatoid arthritis

Physiology

(noun)

A chronic and progressive disease in which the immune system attacks the joints. It is characterised by pain, inflammation and swelling of the joints, stiffness, weakness, loss of mobility, and deformity. Tissues throughout the body can be affected including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and muscles.

Related Terms

Biology

(noun)

chronic, progressive disease in which the immune system attacks the joints; characterized by pain, inflammation and swelling of the joints, stiffness, weakness, loss of mobility, and deformity

Related Terms

Examples of rheumatoid arthritis in the following topics:

  • Rheumatism and Arthritis

    • Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that affects many tissues and organs, but mainly attacks flexible joints.
    • Kathleen Turner, the actress from the movie Body Heat found out when she was in her mid-40s that she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis.
    • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks flexible (synovial) joints.
    • There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but many different types of treatment can alleviate symptoms and/or modify the disease process.
    • Other forms of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and related autoimmune diseases.

  • Bone and Joint Disorders

    • The most common bone and joint disorder are types of arthritis.
    • There are more than 100 different forms of arthritis.
    • Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis produce arthritis because the immune system of the body attacks the body joints.
    • In rheumatoid arthritis, the joint capsule and synovial membrane become inflamed.
    • Describe the causes and treatments for gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis

  • Bursitis

    • Causes of bursitis include rheumatoid arthritis, severe scoliosis, traumatic injury, other chronic systemic diseases, and idiopathic sources.

  • Hypersensitivity

    • Associated disorders: Serum sickness, Arthus reaction, Rheumatoid arthritis, Post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, lupus Nephritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (Hypersensitivity pneumonitis).

  • Muscular Atrophy

  • Biochemical Products of Recombinant DNA Technology

    • Gene transfer from one organism to other: the advanced gene therapy can benefit people with cystic fibrosis, vascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and specific types of cancers.

  • Genital Ulcer Diseases

    • Genital ulcers are skin ulcers located on the genital area and can be caused by a number of sexually transmitted diseases or other noninfectious conditions such as yeasts, trauma, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or Behcet's syndrome.

  • Type III (Immune Complex) Reactions

    • Immune complex deposition is a prominent feature of several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, cryoglobulinemia, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjögren's syndrome.
    • Hence, vasculitis, glomerulonephritis and arthritis are commonly-associated conditions as a result of type III hypersensitivity responses.
    • Immune complex deposition is a prominent feature of several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, cryoglobulinemia, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjögren's syndrome.

  • Cytotoxic Autoimmune Reactions

    • Prominent examples include Coeliac disease, diabetes mellitus type 1 (IDDM), Sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome, Churg-Strauss Syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Addison's Disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and allergies.
    • HLA DR4 is correlated with the genesis of rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, and pemphigus vulgaris.

  • The Roles of Genetics and Gender in Autoimmune Disease

    • Prominent examples include Coeliac disease, diabetes mellitus type 1 (IDDM), Sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome, Churg-Strauss Syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Addison's Disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and allergies.
    • HLA DR4 is correlated with the genesis of rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, and pemphigus vulgaris.