The malfunction of which body system causes rheumatoid arthritis?

3 Comments

1. George says:

   December 2, 2009 at 11:32 pm

   The immune system I think. The body’s own white blood cells attack the joints in an auto-immune response for some reason.
2. kt says:

   December 3, 2009 at 12:19 am

   “Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes joint pain and damage. Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the lining of your joints (synovium) causing swelling that can result in aching and throbbing and eventually deformity.”

   “The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. Even though infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi have long been suspected, none has been proven as the cause. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is a very active area of worldwide research. Some scientists believe that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited. It is suspected that certain infections or factors in the environment might trigger the immune system to attack the body’s own tissues, resulting in inflammation in various organs of the body such as the lungs or eyes.”
3. wilds_of_virginia says:

   December 3, 2009 at 12:59 am

   That would be the immune system. RA is an autoimmue disease something like cystic fibrosis or MS. In RA your body’s immune system attacks the connective tissue in your joint- not a fun disease.