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Seminars in Immunopathology
Published in: Seminars in Immunopathology 4/2017

01-06-2017 | Review

Cellular and molecular pathways of structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis

Authors: Ulrike Harre, Georg Schett

Published in: Seminars in Immunopathology | Issue 4/2017

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Abstract

Structural damage of cartilage and bone tissue is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The resulting joint destruction constitutes one of the major disease consequences for patients and creates a significant burden for the society. The main cells executing bone and cartilage degradation are osteoclasts and fibroblast-like synoviocytes, respectively. The function of both cell types is heavily influenced by the immune system. In the last decades, research has identified several mediators of structural damage, ranging from infiltrating immune cells and inflammatory cytokines to autoantibodies. These factors result in an inflammatory milieu in the affected joints which leads to an increased development and function of osteoclasts and the transformation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes towards a highly migratory and destructive phenotype. In addition, repair mechanisms mediated by osteoblasts and chondrocytes are strongly impaired by the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This article will review the current knowledge on the mechanisms of joint inflammation and the destruction of bone and cartilage.
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Metadata
Title
Cellular and molecular pathways of structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors
Ulrike Harre
Georg Schett
Publication date
01-06-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Seminars in Immunopathology / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 1863-2297
Electronic ISSN: 1863-2300
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00281-017-0634-0

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