The Role and Mechanism of Protein Post‑Translational Modification in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that significantly compromises patient quality of life due to its high prevalence and risk of disability. While its etiology remains incompletely understood, increasing evidence highlights the critical involvement of epigenetic mechanisms, particularly post-translational modifications (PTMs), in RA pathogenesis. Advances in proteomics have identified various PTMs-including phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, glycosylation, lactylation, as well as citrullination and carbamylation-as key regulators of inflammation, immune response, and tissue remodeling in RA. Importantly, dysregulated PTMs may alter protein structure and function, thereby contributing to disease progression. This review systematically summarizes current knowledge on the roles and mechanisms of major PTMs in RA, with a special focus on the cross-talk between PTMs, their interaction with non-coding RNAs, and the emerging therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) targeting PTMs. These insights may provide novel perspectives for the diagnosis and treatment of RA.