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Figure 1 | Arthritis Research & Therapy

Figure 1

From: Association of MHC and rheumatoid arthritis: Why is rheumatoid arthritis associated with the MHC genetic region? An introduction

Figure 1

Some of the mechanisms proposed for the role of DR in RA.(a) DR molecules provides peptides for binding to other MHC moleculeswhich will trigger T cells that regulate pahogenic T cells. (b) DR- selfpeptide complexes select the T cell repertoire that may have a regulatoryimpact on the activation of pathogenic T cells. (c) DR molecules bindself peptides, which may or may not be derived from joint tissue, that triggerpathogenic T cells. (d) Another possibility is that DR molecules bindspeptides derived from infectious agents that may persist in the joints or giverise to a self cross-reactive T cells. Subsequently the activated T cells couldinduce, modulate or regulate the erosive destruction of the joints.

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