Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Reumáticas, Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
Rheumatol Int. 2011 May;31(5):567-72. doi: 10.1007/s00296-010-1644-6. Epub 2010 Dec 7.
Autoimmune diseases result from an interplay between susceptibility genes and environmental factors. These interacting etiopathogenetic components converge in a critical step preceding disease, the loss of tolerance to self. In this review, we examine the evidences linking tobacco smoking with the initiation and perpetuation of inflammation affecting both the synovial membrane and the endothelial lining in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is a compelling argument for the decisive role of environment in the triggering of a human autoimmune disease in genetically prone individuals.
自身免疫性疾病是由易感基因和环境因素相互作用引起的。这些相互作用的病因学成分在疾病发生前的关键步骤中汇聚，即对自身的耐受性丧失。在这篇综述中，我们研究了将吸烟与类风湿关节炎患者的滑膜膜和内皮衬里炎症的发生和持续联系起来的证据。这种疾病有力地证明了环境在易患遗传个体的人类自身免疫性疾病的触发中起着决定性作用。
