Journal
APMIS
Volume 122, Issue 5, Pages 363-368Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/apm.12154
Keywords
Rheumatoid arthritis; Proteus; urinary tract infection
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Genetic, molecular and biological studies indicate that rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a severe arthritic disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population in developed countries, is caused by an upper urinary tract infection by the microbe, Proteus mirabilis. Elevated levels of specific antibodies against Proteus bacteria have been reported from 16 different countries. The pathogenetic mechanism involves six stages triggered by cross-reactive autoantibodies evoked by Proteus infection. The causative amino acid sequences of Proteus namely, ESRRAL and IRRET, contain arginine doublets which can be acted upon by peptidyl arginine deiminase thereby explaining the early appearance of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies in patients with RA. Consequently, RA patients should be treated early with anti-Proteus antibiotics as well as biological agents to avoid irreversible joint damages.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available