The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

The results of recent immunohistological studies and ex vivo and in vitro experiments in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are presented. These findings are used as the basis for a unifying concept of the pathogenesis of RA which serves to explain many clinical and laboratory features of this disease. This hypothesis, which may be regarded for experimental purposes as being analogous to the in vitro AMLR, provides a rational basis for the further analysis of the cellular immune mechanisms operating in RA and the development of effective therapeutic regimens. The ultimate goal is the early diagnosis and cure of RA before the development of irreversible joint damage.