Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

An Adoptive Transfer Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Mice
Published on: June 6, 2025
Genes, environment and immunity in the development of rheumatoid arthritis
Lars Klareskog1, Leonid Padyukov, Johan Rönnelid
1Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet/Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. lars.klareskog@ki.se
Abstract:
The combined role of genes, environment and immunity in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been the subject of recent investigations. New data support a gene-environment interaction between smoking and the MHC class II HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) genes in anti-citrulline antibody (anti-CP(+)) RA but not in anti-CP(-) disease. These data from genetic epidemiology, together with information on citrullination in the lungs of smokers, have prompted the formulation of a new etiological hypothesis for anti-CP(+) RA, suggesting that smoking in the context of HLA-DR SE might trigger immunity to citrulline-modified proteins and that this immunity, after several years, might cause arthritis.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
Autoimmune Disorders
Concept and Mechanism of Autoimmune Diseases
The immune system...
Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway