What are the causes of rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the more common diseases in life. Many elderly people will suffer from this disease. Many times we suddenly get this disease without any warning. So what are the causes of rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that is closely related to factors such as environment, bacteria, viruses, genetics, sex hormones, autoimmune system and mental state.

(1) Infection causes damage to joints

A large number of studies have shown that the onset of rheumatoid arthritis is related to infection with certain viruses. Why does viral infection cause the onset of rheumatoid arthritis? This is because when the virus invades the human body, the body's immune cells produce an abnormal antibody, which is medically called "self-antibody." Although some viruses, especially Epstein-Barr virus infection, can also cause arthritis, this type of arthritis is different from rheumatoid arthritis. Although persistently high levels of anti-Epstein-Barr virus antibodies appear in the serum and synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients, so far, Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen or capsid antigen antibodies have not been found in the serum of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Therefore, there is no consensus on which virus causes rheumatoid arthritis.

(II) Relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and genetic factors

Studies have reported that the onset of rheumatoid arthritis is related to genetic factors, which is mainly manifested in the higher incidence of the disease in certain families. If someone in the family has rheumatoid arthritis, the probability of getting the disease is higher. Rheumatoid arthritis often occurs in several members of the same family. The incidence of children whose parents have suffered from arthritis is much higher than that of children whose parents do not have rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the probability of monozygotic twins suffering from rheumatoid arthritis at the same time is 27%, while the probability of dizygotic twins is 13%, which is much higher than the general population. However, another study of 40 pairs of dizygotic twins found that only 2 pairs had the same history of rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and sex hormones

Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women than in men. The incidence rate peaks in menopausal women. The condition can be relieved during pregnancy and childbirth, which shows that rheumatoid arthritis is also related to endocrine. The male-female ratio of rheumatoid arthritis is 1:2 to 1:4. The condition is alleviated during pregnancy and childbirth, and the incidence rate is reduced in women taking contraceptives, indicating that sex hormones play a certain role in rheumatoid arthritis.