Blood Changes May Predict Form of Arthritis

Women’s immune systems get more active years before they develop a crippling form of arthritis, new research shows. The study used blood samples from 170 women. All of them later developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Their blood was different than the blood of women who did not go on to develop RA. It had higher levels of two proteins involved in the immune system. They are called IL-6 and sTNFRII. Women with high levels of sTNFRII were twice as likely as those with low levels to develop RA. IL6 also indicated an increased risk, but the increase was smaller. The study appeared in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Reuters Health news service wrote about it March 12.