RA Symposium Flashcards
What is the goal of RA treatment/
Inflammation naturally fluctuates over time, the goal of treatment is to restore natural natural fluctuations below threshold
Describe the key characteristics of RA
What?Who?Where?,Impact?
- Inflammation of synovial joints, systemic signs
- 3:1 women, aged 40-50, affects 1% of population
- most common, PIP, MCP, wrist
- Increased mortality, reduced quality of life, disability
State three systemic signs of RA along with the cytokine associated
- Low bone density, fractures (TNFa, RANKL)
- Atherosclerosis, MI, stroke (IL6, complement, TNFa)
- Insulin resistance (TNFa, IL1)
- Low stress tolerance, depression (TNFa, IL1, IL6)
- Acute phase response (CRP), iron distribution (hepcidin) (IL6)
(Lipid particles altered, pro inflammatory HDL phenotype, total cholesterol decreased, small HDL increased) - Free fatty acid adipocytokines (TNFa, IL6)
Describe the joint damage in RA
- symmetrical
- morning stiffness
- swelling
- heat
- pain
- loss of function
- redness
- destruction process produces bone erosion and synovial and cartilage damage
What is synovitis?
- swelling over extensor tendons, wrist and MCP joints
- synovium hyperplasia and synovial fibroblasts have reduced apoptosis, enhanced anchorages, unregulated adhesion molecules and increased proliferation
Describe the differences between a normal joint and a rheumatoid joint
Pannus - inflamed synovial membrane Synovial fluid rich in neutrophils Synovitis Cartilage erosion Bone erosion Cartilage loss
What is the composition of synovial tissue in RA?
- ACTIVATED T lymphocytes (40%)
- macrophages (40%)
- B lymphocytes and plasma cells (5%)
- Fibroblasts and endothelial cells (10-15%)
Which immune component is key to RA?
How does this reflect in clinical practice?
- Macrophages
- Key effectors: phagocytosis, APC, cytokine production- TNF, IL1, IL6
- Most therapies decrease macrophage cytokine production
- Decreased macrophage infiltration strongly correlates with the degree of clinical improvement to therapies
Which pro inflammatory cytokines cause disequilibrium of inflammation
IL1
IL6
IL17
What is the role of IL17 in RA
Known to activate synovial fibroblasts and osteoclasts and favour cartilage resorption
Which immune cell is enriched in RA and defected in a way that can be blocked by TNF
Treg
What is the role of B cells in RA
- make autoantibodies present before onset of symptoms
- they form diffuse or follicular infiltrates in the RA synovium
- depletion of B cells using monoclonal anti-CD20 is an effective treatment
Describe the cartilage erosion in RA
- fibroblasts make MMPs which break down the collagen network in the cartilage
- chondrocytes undergo apoptosis
- fibroblasts adhere to and evade the cartilage
- leads to biomechanical dysfunction and joint space narrowing
Which cytokines promote osteoclast differentiation and activation?
- IL17
- RANKL
- TNFa
- IL6
Describe the impact on bone physiology in RA?
- Deep bone resorption pits develop, which become filled with inflammatory tissue
- worse at mechanically vulnerable sites e.g. 2nd/3rd metacarpal
- Little repair as cytokines inhibit differentiation of osteoblasts