Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic articular inflammation and progressive joint destruction. Autoimmunity to type II collagen (CII), an abundant molecule in articular cartilage, is implicated in pathogenesis because the immunization of susceptible strains of rats, mice and nonhuman primates using native CII in adjuvant results in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), which has close immunologic and pathologic similarities to RA.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic articular inflammation and progressive joint destruction. Autoimmunity to type II collagen (CII), an abundant molecule in articular cartilage, is implicated in pathogenesis because the immunization of susceptible strains of rats, mice and nonhuman primates using native CII in adjuvant results in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), which has close immunologic and pathologic similarities to RA.
Arthritis Research & Therapy
