Pollution and Genes Work Together to Increase Severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Interaction between genes and environmental factors is widely believed to increase the risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but until now scientists haven’t understood the nature of this interplay. Studies by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, have now uncovered a mechanism by which a particular variant of the HLA-DRB1 allele and exposure to environmental pollutants such as cigarette smoke or vehicle exhausts work together to increase RA risk and the severity of bone dama