title: Rheumatoid arthritis: inflammation and bone loss.
abstract: Chronic synovial inflammation is usually accompanied by bone erosion. Due to resulting structural damage, bone erosion is a major reason for disability in RA patients. Anti-rheumatic drug therapy is focussed not only on the control of synovial inflammation but also on preserving bone from structural damage. Bone erosion in arthritis is a consequence of synovial osteoclast formation. Therapeutic approaches which interfere with synovial osteoclastogenesis and/or osteoclast activation are therefore of great interest. This review describes the mechanism of inflammatory bone loss, describes its cellular and molecular players and gives insights in current therapeutic tools to inhibit this process.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. georg.schett@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001175:Arthrography; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D007596:Joints / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B; D013585:Synovitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B; C505686:TNFRSF11A protein, human; C505688:TNFSF11 protein, human; C505687:Tnfrsf11a protein, mouse; C505689:Tnfsf11 protein, mouse