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Figure 1 | Arthritis Research & Therapy

Figure 1

From: High avidity autoreactive T cells with a low signalling capacity through the T-cell receptor: central to rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis?

Figure 1

Pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis. (a) The SKG model and (b) a model for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suggested by the skg mouse. As a result of altered thymic selection, the peripheral T-cell repertoire responds to self-antigen with higher affinity compared with the healthy situation, facilitating self-specific activation and population of the periphery with post-activated memory T cells. These T cells produce proinflammatory cytokines and provide efficient help for autoantibody production, but they have limited capacity for infection control. Antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) are activated directly by fungal β-glucans (panel a) or indirectly through T cells or proinflammatory cytokines (panels a and b). ACPA, antibodies to citrullinated protein; CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocyte; EBV, Epstein-Barr virus; IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; RF, rheumatoid factor; TCR, T-cell receptor; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; WT, wild-type.

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Arthritis Research & Therapy

ISSN: 1478-6362

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