This is about two diseases with very similar symptoms, but completely different causes: chikungunya virus infection and rheumatoid arthritis. The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites, particularly from yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). These insects may not only transmit CHIKV, but also dengue fever, […]
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterised by chronic inflammation of the joints. Its development is stimulated by genetic and environmental risk factors. It is not very long ago that the relevant autoantigens in RA were identified. So-called citrullinated proteins (they contain the amino acid citrulline) are one of possibly several target antigens of
“Rheumatism” is the term commonly used for the violent and dragging pains in joints, muscles and bones which can make everyday life a misery. Actually, this term describes a large number of individual diseases which are referred to by medical experts as “diseases of the rheumatic form”. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most
Uromodulin is a kidney-specific glycoprotein, which is exclusively expressed by the epithelial cells of the ascending limb of loop of Henle (TAL cells) and secreted into the urine. There, it is the quantitatively most significant protein. Additionally, secretion of small quantities of uromodulin into the interstitium was described. In this way the proteins gets into
A large cross-sectional serostudy of blood donors in Saudi Arabia has revealed a significant number of subclinical infections with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), which pose a likely source of infection in previously unexplained outbreaks of MERS. Notably, the prevalence of antibodies against MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was significantly higher in persons with regular exposure
