Rheumatoid Disease: An Autoimmune Systemic Disorder

It is an autoimmune systemic disorder characterised by inflammation of tissues around joints and other organs of the body.In this disorder the cells of the body that work for protecting against infections and foreign bodies start affecting own body tissues.This disease causes functional disability.

Environmental factors and infections are suspected to cause the immune system of the body to work against its own tissues.immune cells like lymphocytes are responsible for causing inflammation in various organs of the body like lungs or eyes.The abnormal immune response is responsible for inflammation of the synovium followed by edema and vasodilation and infiltration of activated T cells.This causes thickening of synovium,breakdown of cartilage and destruction of bone which is evident as erosion of bone radiologically. The following factors have been linked to this disease .

• stress
• improper diet
• smoking
• suspected infections with rubella,parvovirus19,mycoplasmas
• hormonal imbalance therefore more prevalent in women mostly risk of acquiring it after child birth