Autoimmune Disease-Rheumatoid Arthritis - Research Paper Example

? Autoimmune disease-Rheumatoid arthritis Autoimmune disease-Rheumatoid arthritis Introduction Autoimmune disease is a condition, which occurs when the body immune systems attack helpful body tissues apart from the harmful ones. The immune systems are supposed to destroy antigens such as bacteria and toxins. In individuals with this disorder, their immune systems fail to differentiate the antigens and healthy tissues. There are about 80 autoimmune illnesses and Arthritis Rheumatoid is one of them. Arthritis is the inflammation of areas joining two bones. It occurs due to the reduction of cartilages protecting the joints. Cartilages absorb shock when the joints are strained especially when one is walking. Absence or lack of enough cartilage may make the bones to rub causing pain, inflammation, and rigidity. The categories of arthritis include the osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis, and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (MedlinePlus, 2012). Etiology and Pathogenesis Rheumatoid arthritis is a prevalent category of arthritis with unknown causes; however, researchers suspect that viruses, bacteria, and fungi cause it. It is clear that additional study is necessary to prove the causes. Medical experts suppose that genetic factors contribute to the development of the disease. The researchers have recognized precise genes that raise the likelihood of getting the disease. They also suspect that some infections and environment factors activate the immune system increasing the vulnerability. The activated immune system attacks the important tissues at the joints. This leads to the swelling of joints and other body parts such as lungs. This occurs after triggering the immune cells called the lymphocytes and the response of the chemical messengers, which affects the inner linings of the lungs. Breaking of bones also causes the disease because it reduces the cartilages increasing friction that in turn causes swelling at the joints (WebMD, 2012). Some of the identified environmental factors that cause the disease are tobacco and silica minerals. This environmental factors cause the activation of immunity repeatedly. The process may occur for many years without being noticed. One of the major elements that trigger the immune system is the Peptidyl Arginine Deiminase enzymes that changes argine to cirtrulline. This enzyme is usually activated by tobacco, and silica. This does not occur only because of rheumatoid arthritis; however, it can also occur due to environmental stress (Shiel, 2012). Pathology Rheumatoid arthritis affects many body organs apart from the joints since it is a systemic illness. It causes the swelling of the eye and mouth glands that in turn drains fluids from these areas making them dry. This condition is called Sjogren syndrome and it may cause corneal abrasion. Additionally, it may cause irritation of the white part of the eyes. This is quite dangerous to the eyes. The disease may also cause inflammation of the inner linings of the lungs resulting into shortness of breath and chest pains during deep breaths. According to WebMD (2012), the lung itself can become swollen or scarred. Rheumatoid arthritis may cause irritation of the pericarditis, which surround the heart and this causes pain in the chest when one leans forward. Additionally, the disease increases the chances of getting heart illnesses. The illness also causes the reduction of red and white cells causing anemia and distorting the body’s immune system. The reduced white blood cells are connected with spleen expansion. This condition is called Felty’s syndrome. Additionally arthritis increases a person’s chances of getting lymph gland cancer especially if one people experiences constant joint inflammation (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). The disease can also cause the formation of lumps below the skin especially at elbows and fingers. Sometimes nerves can be affected especially around the wrists. The nerves become strained and this causes the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Another serious condition that results from this disease is the blood vessel swelling, which occurs due to the long-lasting rheumatoid illness. The inflammation of blood vessels may hinder the blood supply to tissues leading to the death of tissues. Necrosis causes to the death of tissues. It causes the areas around the finger and toe nail beds to become black (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). An image eroded cartilage at the joint (Picsearch, 2012). Clinical features and diagnosis The persistency of the rheumatic arthritis symptoms depends on the level of the tissue inflammation. The disease is very active during the inflammation of tissues and less active when the inflammation reduces. The reduction of inflammation can last for sometime after treatment, or it can occur spontaneously. This inflammation reduction is called remission. During this period, a person feels well since the symptoms usually disappear (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). During the active tissue inflammation, a persona can experience low energy, lack of appetite, fever, muscle pains, and inflexibility. The joint and muscle rigidity is usually experienced after waking up or after being dormant for some time. Additionally the joints may become red and these results from the production of the excess synovial fluids due to the joint inflammation. The joints become thicker due to the excess fluids (Pubmed health, 2012). The disease usually affects many joints in a systematic pattern and the initial systems involves the stiffness of small joints like wrists and fingers making it difficult to perform easy tasks like rotating the doorknobs. Sometime the disease may affect the joints that constrict the vocal cord. These changes a person’s voice making it hoarse (WebMD, 2012). The disease is identifiable based on the joints characteristics in the morning, the presence of blood rheumatoid arthritis factor, and alteration of the rheumatoid nodules. The initial step of diagnosis involves reviewing of person’s symptoms history. Additionally, the doctor can examine the joints for inflammation and defects. The diagnosis will be done depending on the X-ray tests and the pattern of the symptoms. Diagnosis of this disease is usually easier when the joints are affected symmetrically because this is one the characteristics of RA. The inflammation of one joint makes diagnosis to be difficult (Pubmed health, 2012). Doctors can also test the presence of the abnormal antibodies called the rheumatoid factors. Most patients with these antibodies have the Rheumatoid arthritis. Other abnormal antibodies are citrulline antibody, which can help a doctor when trying to find the cause of the earlier unidentified inflammatory arthritis if other factors are absent. A blood analysis called the sed rate can also be helpful in diagnosis. Sed rate shows the rate of inflammation. It is usually faster during the active inflammation (Pubmed health, 2012). Joints affected with rheumatoid have thicker synovial membranes because they are swollen (Picsearch, 2012). Treatment The most recent treatments of rheumatoid illness are the biologic medications. These medications include etanercept, adalimumab, rituximab, tocilizumab, anakinra, and abatacept (Pubmed health, 2012). The newer second-line medication may cause infection that should be reported to the health care experts. Second-line medications are treatments given to a patient due to the ineffectiveness of the initial medication. These treatments can stop the joint damage faster when combined with other traditional treatments. Etanercept, inflixomab, adalimumab, golimumub, and certolizumb pegol are biologic treatment, which act by intercepting messenger proteins that trigger joint inflammation in the joints. These medications help in reducing the symptoms rapidly. A patient should take a dose of Etanercepts once or twice a week. Infiximub should be given to patients by directly diffusing them into veins. Adalimumab and Golimuman should be injected weekly and monthly respectively. Researchers are still evaluating all this medications to determine their roles in treating different stages of this arthritis. Patients are usually advised to use these medications if other traditional medications are not helpful. Individuals with congestive heart failure should not use them because they can worsen their conditions (WebMD, 2012). Anakinra is a newer biologic treatment that can cure moderate and severe arthritis. It works by attaching itself to messenger proteins and should be injected subcutaneously daily. Rituximab works by depleting the B-cells, which activate inflammation. Abatcept is another arthritis medication that works by obstructing the T-cell that also cause inflammation and a patient should take it monthly. Tocilizumab is among the initial biological medication that acts by blocking interleukin-6 and triggers inflammation. This medication should be used on one occasion in a month. All the biologic medication can be combined with the non-biologic ones. However, they should never be combined with other biologic ones because they can cause serious infections (Shiel, 2012). Conclusion Rheumatic arthritis is an unceasing condition whose precise cause has not been identified. Some of the suspected causes include the reaction of immune systems and external factors like taking of tobacco. The disease affects joints and other constituents of the body like lungs and eyes. The most common signs of the illness are fatigue, redness of the joint area, formation of nodules under the skin, chest pains, and painful joints. The new medications for reducing the inflammation are biologic and they include tocilizumab and golimumub. References Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Rheumatic Arthritis. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/rheumatoid.htm MediPlus. (2012). Arthritis. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/arthritis.html Picsearch. (2012). Rheumatoid arthritis pictures. Retrieved from http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/Health/Cutaneous%20conditions/Cutaneous%20condi Pubmed Health. (2012). Arthritis. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002223/ Shiel, W. (2012). What are the newer treatment for rheumatoid arthritis? Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoid_arthritis/page8.htm#what_are_newer_treatment s_for_rheumatoid_arthritis WebMD . (2012). Rheumatoid Arthritis Overview. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/guide/rheumatoid-arthritis-basics Read More