Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects about 1% of the world’s population. The etiology of RA remains unknown. It is considered to occur in the presence of genetic and environmental factors. An increasing body of evidence pinpoints that epigenetic modifications play an important role in the regulation of RA pathogenesis. Epigenetics causes heritable phenotype changes that are not determined by changes in the DNA sequence. The major epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone proteins modifications and changes in gene expression caused by microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs. These modifications are reversible and could be modulated by diet, drugs, and other environmental factors. Specific changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications and abnormal expression of non-coding RNAs associated with RA have already been identified. This review focuses on the role of these multiple epigenetic factors in the pathogenesis and progression of the disease, not only in synovial fibroblasts, immune cells, but also in the peripheral blood of patients with RA, which clearly shows their high diagnostic potential and promising targets for therapy in the future.
Highlights
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic auto-inflammatory disease of connective tissue with progressive joint damage and systemic disorders that affects around 1% of the world’s population (Cribbs A. et al, 2015)
This review focuses on the role of these multiple epigenetic factors in the pathogenesis and progression of the disease, in synovial fibroblasts, immune cells, and in the peripheral blood of patients with RA, which clearly shows their high diagnostic potential and promising targets for therapy in the future
In the last few decades, many studies have shown that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the regulation of all biological processes in the body from impregnation to death
Summary
It is considered to occur in the presence of genetic and environmental factors. An increasing body of evidence pinpoints that epigenetic modifications play an important role in the regulation of RA pathogenesis. Epigenetics causes heritable phenotype changes that are not determined by changes in the DNA sequence. The major epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone proteins modifications and changes in gene expression caused by microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs. The major epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone proteins modifications and changes in gene expression caused by microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs These modifications are reversible and could be modulated by diet, drugs, and other environmental factors. This review focuses on the role of these multiple epigenetic factors in the pathogenesis and progression of the disease, in synovial fibroblasts, immune cells, and in the peripheral blood of patients with RA, which clearly shows their high diagnostic potential and promising targets for therapy in the future
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