<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting joints and causing symmetrical chronic progressive aseptic synovitis and erosive-destructive changes. Viruses and viral infections are considered to be the main risk factors for autoimmune disease development (especially for individuals with genetic predisposition). The goal of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HHV-6 and HHV-7 persistent infection and its activity phase in RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and healthy persons. We examined also the influence of HHV-6 and -7 infections on RA activity, aggressiveness, radiographical stage, and frequency of complications as well as the presence of HHV-6 infection markers in synovial fluid and synovial tissues of RA joints of affected patients. Despite the lack of significant correlation between frequency of persistent single HHV-6, single HHV-7, and concurrent HHV-6 and HHV-7 infection and RA clinical course, we found that both active and latent HHV-6 and/or HHV-7 infection increased RA activity and progression in several clinical and laboratory parameters. Regarding the severity of the course of RA, we observed also a high prevalence of RA complications in the patient group with active single HHV-6 infection and also a more severe radiographical stage in RA patients with active concurrent HHV-6 and HHV-7 infection. Moreover, viral infection markers were found in synovial fluid and synovial tissues of affected joints of RA patients. This suggests that HHV-6 and/or HHV-7 infection has effect on the disease clinical course, but virus reactivation may be a consequence of immunosuppressive treatment.</p></abstract>

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting joints and causing symmetrical chronic progressive aseptic synovitis and erosive-destructive changes. Viruses and viral infections are considered to be the main risk factors for autoimmune disease development (especially for individuals with genetic predisposition). The goal of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HHV-6 and HHV-7 persistent infection and its activity phase in RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and healthy persons. We examined also the influence of HHV-6 and -7 infections on RA activity, aggressiveness, radiographical stage, and frequency of complications as well as the presence of HHV-6 infection markers in synovial fluid and synovial tissues of RA joints of affected patients. Despite the lack of significant correlation between frequency of persistent single HHV-6, single HHV-7, and concurrent HHV-6 and HHV-7 infection and RA clinical course, we found that both active and latent HHV-6 and/or HHV-7 infection increased RA activity and progression in several clinical and laboratory parameters. Regarding the severity of the course of RA, we observed also a high prevalence of RA complications in the patient group with active single HHV-6 infection and also a more severe radiographical stage in RA patients with active concurrent HHV-6 and HHV-7 infection. Moreover, viral infection markers were found in synovial fluid and synovial tissues of affected joints of RA patients. This suggests that HHV-6 and/or HHV-7 infection has effect on the disease clinical course, but virus reactivation may be a consequence of immunosuppressive treatment.

Effect of Human Herpesviruses 6 and 7 Infection on the Clinical Course of Rheumatoid Arthritis / Cilvēka Herpesvīrusa 6 Un 7 Infekcijas Ietekme Uz Reimatoīdā Artrīta Klīnisko Gaitu

Augusts Kirhenšteins Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Rīga Stradiņš University, Rātsupītes iela 5, Rīga, LV-1067, LATVIA

Rīga East Clinical University Hospital, Clinic „Gaiļezers”, Hipokrāta iela 2, Rīga, LV-1038, LATVIA

Department of Internal Diseases, Rîga Stradiņš University, Hipokrāta iela 2, Rīga, LV-1038, LATVIA

Inter-Department Laboratory of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Rīga Stradiņš University, Duntes iela 22, Rīga, LV-1013, LATVIA

Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology, Rīga Stradiņš University, Kronvalda bulv. 22, Rīga, LV-1010, LATVIA

Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B. Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting joints and causing symmetrical chronic progressive aseptic synovitis...

Effect of Human Herpesviruses 6 and 7 Infection on the Clinical Course of Rheumatoid Arthritis / Cilvēka Herpesvīrusa 6 Un 7 Infekcijas Ietekme Uz Reimatoīdā Artrīta Klīnisko Gaitu

Published Online: Aug 04, 2016

Page range: 165 - 174

Received: Mar 09, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/prolas-2016-0028

Keywords
rheumatoid arthritis, HHV-6, HHV-7, viral reactivation

© by Anda Kadiša

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Effect of Human Herpesviruses 6 and 7 Infection on the Clinical Course of Rheumatoid Arthritis / Cilvēka Herpesvīrusa 6 Un 7 Infekcijas Ietekme Uz Reimatoīdā Artrīta Klīnisko Gaitu

Published Online: Aug 04, 2016

Page range: 165 - 174

Received: Mar 09, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/prolas-2016-0028

Keywordsrheumatoid arthritis, HHV-6, HHV-7, viral reactivation

© by Anda Kadiša

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
rheumatoid arthritis, HHV-6, HHV-7, viral reactivation