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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

A Pre-Clinical Model of Synovitis Using Ex vivo Human Synovial Tissue with Preserved Function and Architecture
Published on: March 20, 2026
[A gene defect in the promoter of the endothelial NO synthase as a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis]
1Klinische Forschergruppe für Rheumatologie, Zentrale Klinische Forschung, Breisacher Str. 66, 79106 Freiburg. inga.melchers@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Abstract:
The risk to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) includes environmental as well as genetic factors. Moreover, RA, being an inflammatory disease, is itself considered to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease, as it - or its treatment - may lead to endothelial dysfunction. Likewise, a single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter of the endothelial NO synthase ((-786)C/T) leads to endothelial dysfunction in (-786)CC homozygous individuals. This genetic defect occurs in significantly higher frequencies in patients with RA, and therefore must be regarded as a genetic risk factor for RA.
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