NEW YORK (Reuters Health)’Over the last three decades, there has been a significant decline in the incidence of rheumatoid factor (RF) positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while the overall incidence of RA has remained about the same, researchers report. “These trends may suggest changing serological profile of RA over time which may have implications for RA…
B Cell-Directed Therapy May Delay RA Development in High-Risk Patients
New evidence from a clinical trial of rituximab has identified the pathogenetic role of B cells in the earliest, pre-arthritis stage of autoantibody-positive RA…
Peripheral Helper Cells May Provide Clue to RA Pathology
Research has identified a subset of T cells, peripheral helper (TPH) cells, which may promote pathological B cell responses and antibody production in patients with seropositive RA. TPH cells also express chemokine receptors, enabling them to infiltrate inflamed parts of the body and stimulate B cells to produce antibodies…