Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease
that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Autoimmune diseases are
illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are mistakenly attacked by their
own immune system. The immune system contains a complex organization of cells
and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of
the body, particularly infections.
Patients with autoimmune diseases have
antibodies and immune cells in their blood that target their own body tissues,
where they can be associated with inflammation. While inflammation of the
tissue around the joints and inflammatory arthritis are characteristic features
of rheumatoid arthritis, the disease can also cause inflammation and injury in
other organs in the body.
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