citrullination levels vs. antibody reactivity

Mouth. Dryness and gum inflammation, irritation or infection.

Eyes. Dryness, pain, inflammation, redness, sensitivity to light and trouble seeing properly.

Having a lot of inflammation and other symptoms is called a flare. Many people with RA get very tired (fatigue) and some may have a low-grade fever.

The same joints on both sides of the body are affected.

Small joints (wrists, certain joints in the hands and feet) are typically affected first.

Morning stiffness that lasts for 30 minutes or longer.

Joint pain, tenderness, swelling or stiffness that lasts for six weeks or longer.In the early stages, people with RA may not see redness or swelling in the joints, but they may experience tenderness and pain. They believe these individuals may have certain genes that are activated by a trigger in the environment, such as a virus or bacteria, physical or emotional stress or some other external factor. Researchers aren’t sure why people develop RA. The inflamed synovium gets thicker and makes the joint area feel painful and tender and look red and swollen, and moving the joint may be difficult. Tn RA, it attacks the synovium, the tissue lining around a joint that produces a fluid to help the joint move smoothly. With an autoimmune disease like RA, the immune system mistakes the body’s cells for foreign invaders and releases inflammatory chemicals that attack those cells.

In a healthy person, the immune system fights invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. Having a family member with RA increases the odds of developing RA. But sometimes RA causes problems in other parts of the body as well, such as the eyes, heart and circulatory system and/or the lungs.įor unknown reasons, more women than men get RA, and it usually develops in middle age. The disease commonly affects the hands, knees or ankles, and usually the same joint on both sides of the body, such as both hands or both knees. It happens when the immune system doesn’t work properly and attacks the lining of the joints, called the synovium. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes joint inflammation and pain.

Citrullination levels vs. antibody reactivity