Why does rheumatoid arthritis develop after some infections trigger antibody production that targets both the pathogen and joint tissues?

💡 Explanation

Rheumatoid arthritis can arise from molecular mimicry, where antibodies against a pathogen cross-react with self-antigens in joints. This leads to an autoimmune response because the regulatory T cell suppression is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the cross-reactive B cell activation; therefore, the self-tolerance breaks down, rather than B cell depletion or direct complement destruction.

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