During pregnancy, most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience spontaneous improvement of their disease activity. Among the soluble candidates that have been investigated in search for the most relevant disease-remitting factor are the galactosylation levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG). In RA, a higher percentage of IgG lacking the terminal galactose residues, thought to play a pro-inflammatory role, is found. During pregnancy, however, IgG galactosylation levels increase and correlate with improved disease activity. The question remains whether the increase in IgG galactosylation during pregnancy is a mere epiphenomenon or a true remission-inducing factor. © 2010 BioMed Central Ltd.
CITATION STYLE
Förger, F., & Østensen, M. (2010, February 24). Is IgG galactosylation the relevant factor for pregnancy-induced remission of rheumatoid arthritis? Arthritis Research and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1186/ar2919
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