Published in:
01-12-2012
To B or Not to B the Conductor of Rheumatoid Arthritis Orchestra
Authors:
Rita A. Moura, Luis Graca, João E. Fonseca
Published in:
Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology
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Issue 3/2012
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Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder that mainly targets the joints. Several lines of evidence have pointed to B cell function as a critical factor in the development of RA. B cells play several roles in the pathogenesis of RA, such as autoantibody production, antigen presentation and T cell activation, cytokine release, and ectopic lymphoid organogenesis. The success of B cell depletion therapy in RA further supports the relevance of these cells in RA progression. In addition, recent studies have also highlighted the B cell role in the first weeks of RA onset. The present article is a review focused in the immunopathogenic B cell-dependent mechanisms associated with RA development and chronicity and the importance of the recent discoveries documented in untreated very early RA patients with less than 6 weeks of disease duration.