Pathophysiology Of Joint Disease Flashcards
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Symmetrical arthritis with inflammation of the synovial membrane with pain and swelling that leads to bone and articular cartilage erosion, affecting the MCP and PIP joints. It is worse after activity in the morning. It is a polyarticular arthritis affecting multiple joints.
What are the risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis?
->Age
-> Epigenetics
->Women post-menopause
->Smoking
->Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteria
->Injury or infection in synovial membrane causing synovial hyperplasia
These factors increase the recognition of autoantibodies against citrillunated components.
What are the epigenetics that increase risk of rheumatoid arthritis?
HLA-DR1
HLA-DR4
What is vimentin?
Fibroblast intermediate filament which is an auto-antigen in rheumatoid arthritis when citrullination occurs.
What is the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis?
Auto-antigens are vimentin and citrillunated proteins. Macrophages release IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha which induces inflammation. This activates fibroblast-like synoviocytes for T cells to express RANKL and bind to osteoclasts for activation and resorption and release of protease for articular cartilage degradation.
Auto-antigens of the synovial membrane are taken up by antibodies to lymph nodes and prime B and T cells for co-stimulation. Antibodies Rheumatoid factor and anti-citrillunated protein targets fibrin and fibrinogen on cartilage travel between the joints and result in symmetrical arthritis.
What is citrillunation?
Post-translational modification of arginine protein to citrilline which occurs in type 2 collagen and vimentin, which relies on Ca2+. When acumulated, these increase the risk of becoming immunogenicity and inducing action against synovial membrane.
How does the immune system work in rheumatoid arthritis?
Majority of rheumatoid arthritis is caused by Rheumatoid factor, a modified IgM antibody which acts on the Fc region of IgG to activate by forming an immune complex to be deposited into the articular cartilage and induce further destruction. High levels are associated with severe progressive disease
T cells produce IFN-alpha and IL-17 which further increase inflammation
What is the most common cause of death of rheumatoid arthritis?
Cardiovascular disease.
What is Hepicidin?
Liver enzyme which traps iron in macrophages and liver cells which results in anaemia
What is the composition of the nodules in rheumatoid arthritis?
Centre of necrosis tissue surrounded with macrophages and lymphocytes.
What are the autoantigens in rheumatoid arthritis?
Proteglycan mesh in Articular cartilage
Components of synovial membrane such as Vimentin and type 2 collagen, that have undergone citrillunation.
What are the deformities in rheumatoid arthritis?
Ulnar deviation at MCP joint
Boutonnierre’s deformity.
Swan’s neck’s deformity.
What is Boutonnière’s deformity?
Flexion of PIP, extension of DIP due to damage to extensor tendon.
-> DIP is unaffected in rheumatoid arthritis.
What is Swan’s neck deformity?
Hyperextension of PIP, extension of DIP joint.
What is the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis?
Symmetrical arthritis which affects more women and is generally progressive. The most common cause of death is coronary artery disease
What is the clinical presentation of rheumatoid arthritis?
Worse in the morning and improves during the day with increased activity but acute flares can occur . Affects the metacarpopharyngeal joints, metatarsopharyngeal joints with joint swelling and inflammatory signs. Dramatic alleviation of symptoms with NSAIDs.
X-rays should be performed.
Which cytokines inhibit inflammation effect?
IL-4
Il-10
TGF-beta
What is the role of TNF-alpha in inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis?
Increases inflammation, immune cell infiltration, angiogenesis
Acts on keratinocytes for hyperproliferation of keratinocytes, causing skin plaque formation.
Increases levels of the protease metalloproteinase for cartilage degradation of the proteogylcan mesh.
Why does CRP increase?
Liver enzyme elevated in inflammation due to being an acute phase reactant.
What is an acute phase reactant?
Proteins which respond to rise in inflammatory cytokines by INCREASING or DECREASING which makes it useful as an inflammation marker.
What are the effect of rheumatoid arthritis on joints?
It affects the MCP and PIP joints of the hands. Articular cartilage degrades so the joint space narrows and inflammation of the synovial membrane.
What are the systemic effects of rheumatoid arthritis?
Chronic inflammation, driving insulin resistance and osteoporosis due to high cortisol levels.
Skin nodules, typically in elbows which can also form in the lungs.
Liver: Elevated CRP and Hepicidin
Heart: Increased arthogenesis in coronary arteries, increasing risk of cardiovascular disease
Popliteal cyst in the knee joint
Felty Syndrome
How does rheumatoid arthritis affect the lungs?
It can cause intrapulmonary nodule formation
Fibrosis and interstitial lung disease
Pleural effusion
Bronchieactasis
How does rheumatoid arthritis affect the heart?
It can cause pericarditis and myocarditis and lead to increased atherosclerotic plaques for greater risk of cardiovascular disease due to greater cortisol.
What is Felty Syndrome?
Triad of factors with:
Rheumatoid arthritis, splenomegaly and neutropenia.
What is the markers for prognosis for mortality in rheumatoid arthritis?
Both Rheumatoid factor and Anti-CCRP antibodies involved in the condition.
What is the markers for prognosis for disability in rheumatoid arthritis?
Presence of nodules, affects many joints and patient is female.
What are the markers of prognosis for bone erosion in RA?
Both Rheumatoid Factor and anti-CCRP are involved in the immune response.
How is rheumatoid arthritis treated?
Early intervention to stop inflammation, prevent damage and preserve function to eventually achieve disease remission.
What is osteoarthritis?
Breakdown of articular cartilage combined with underlying bone growth, typically occurring in the weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. It also affects the small joints the DIP joints, cervical and lumbar vertebrae and metatarsopharyngeal joint. Most common disability in elderly and presents with osteophytes.
What is the clinical presentation of osteoarthritis?
First early sign is reduction in internal rotation.
Stiffness in the morning which worsens during the day with more activity with SHARP and aching pain. There are no swelling signs. Tenderness on joint palpation and osteophytes.
X-rays don’t show much for diagnosis, unless it is severe.
Which joins are affected in osteoarthritis?
DIP and PIP joints of the hands.
Weight bearing joints such as the sacro-iliac joint, hip joint and knee joint.