Investigating what ties arthritis to pregnancy – Dr. Katherine Guthrie and colleagues have found that women who give birth may have a lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis than childless women. This protective effect, however, fades over the years after giving birth. This "vaccine like" effect of pregnancy is being investigated further as it could lead to a new strategy for preventing disease. Learn more >
Unraveling the link between jobs and autoimmune disease — Several types of occupations have been linked to systemic autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, which affect multiple organs. Research by Dr. Anneclaire De Roos and colleagues has shown that jobs like nursing and teaching, which expose people to members of the general public, were associated with decreased survival from a systemic autoimmune disease. The researchers suggested that this higher risk may be due to exposure to multiple infectious agents, leading to an autoimmune response. Other occupations, including farming, mining, textile machine operation and logging, also showed an elevated risk of death from systemic autoimmune disease.
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Understanding rheumatoid arthritis's causes – Our researchers have found that abnormal regulation of two cancer- and infection-fighting proteins may play a key role in destruction of the body's joints, a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Veronika Groh and colleagues discovered that deregulation of this protein pair, known as NKG2D and MIC, may fuel a class of self-destructive immune-system cells that attack the body's cartilage and bone. The findings help to explain why commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory medications provide incomplete relief for rheumatoid arthritis and could lead to improved treatment strategies. Learn more >