Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Erosion Identification in Metacarpophalangeal Joints in Rheumatoid Arthritis using High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography
Published on: October 6, 2023
[Bone and calcium metabolism in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]
1Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Japan.
Abstract:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that is more common in women than in men. The peak incidence in females coincides with menopause when the production of estrogen drops markedly. Disease activity in patients with RA decreases during pregnancy and increases postpartum. RA is characterized by skeletal manifestations where production of pro-inflammatory mediators, connected to the inflammation in the joint, leads to bone loss. Animal studies have revealed beneficial effects of estrogen and raloxifene on arthritis and a positive effect of hormone replacement therapy has been reported in women with postmenopausal RA. This review will focus on the influence of estrogen in the pathogenesis and progression of RA.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Essential Minerals for Bone Health
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
The Bone Matrix

