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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Body
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease, meaning it affects the entire body. It is a chronic disease, in which various joints in the body are inflamed, leading to swelling, pain, stiffness, and the possible loss of function. The inflammatory process can ... occur in other parts of the body.
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Rheumatoid arthritis typically affects joints of the hands and feet but can ... involve the hips, knees, elbows, and other joints. In severe cases, it can cause inflammation in other parts of the body, including the lungs, blood vessels, and nerves.
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a result of changes in the body's immune system. For reasons not fully understood, the body's immune system attacks its own organs, in this case the tissue of the joints.
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Scientists are examining why rheumatoid arthritis often improves during pregnancy. Results of one study suggest that the explanation may be related to differences in certain special proteins that pass between a mother and her unborn child. These proteins help the immune system distinguish between the body's own cells and foreign cells. Such differences, the scientists speculate, may change the activity of the mother's immune system during pregnancy.
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About 2.1 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of more than 100 forms of arthritis. It is a chronic (ongoing) condition in which the synovium (the tissue that lines and lubricates the joints) becomes inflamed. Large and small joints, as well as both sides of the body, are usually affected. Over time, the joints become deformed and knotted-looking if the disease is not treated properly. However, modern treatment and early recognition of the disease has led to fewer deformities and a much better outlook.
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No one knows what causes rheumatoid arthritis, but experts suspect it has something to do with an autoimmune reaction. The immune system is the body's defense against disease from invading bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system gets off-balance, and attacks the body's own tissues. Hormones may play a role, since so many more women than men get Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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