Cranberry Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cranberry, including details on benefits, antioxidants, utis, cystitis.

Rheumatoid arthritis in smokers could be linked to Proteus urinary tract infections.

Rashid T, Ebringer A

School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Kings College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NN, UK.

There is an interplay between genetic and environmental factors in the induction and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The RA-associated HLA-DRB1 alleles which contain the shared epitope moiety as well as microbial triggers such as Proteus are involved in the aetiopathogenesis of this disease. Increased association between Proteus urinary tract infections (UTIs) and RA on one hand and the link between smoking and UTIs on the other hand could explain the increased frequency of RA among smokers. Novel therapeutic and prophylactic measures are proposed, which might help to treat and/or prevent the disease process in individuals who are susceptible to develop RA.

Published 6 November 2007 in Med Hypotheses.
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