Rheumatoid arthritis: an inflammatory autoimmune disease

Abstract

Autoimmune diseases are chronic pathologies characterized by a dysfunction in the immune system, with loss of self-tolerance which induces organ and tissue damage. These diseases are extremely diverse, considering that some of them compromise only one organ, with antibodies or reactive T cells directed towards an antigen from the target organ, while others are systemic and characterized by self reactivity to some antigens with broad distribution in organs and tissues. Rheumatoid Arthritis, a chronic inflammatory systemic autoimmune disease, mainly affects joints, although it may also compromise other organs. Joint inflammation is the main sign of the disease and, even in our days, its causes are not completely understood. Early diagnostic of the pathology is crucial to avoid, or limit, joint destruction, which is the leading cause of physical disability, affecting the quality of life of those who suffer from arthritis. This revision emphasizes the advances in the knowledge of the inflammatory autoimmune response that underlies the development of this pathology, understanding that the more information we gather in this regard, the more and better treatment strategies will be developed.