TY - JOUR T1 - Commensal Gut Bacteria and the Etiopathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1477 LP - 1479 VL - 35 IS - 8 AU - CHRISTOPHER J. EDWARDS Y1 - 2008/08/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/35/8/1477.abstract N2 - Although the exact sequence of steps required to induce rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is unclear, both genetic and environmental factors appear to be important. In recent years the genetics of RA have been extensively studied, with a number of important gene associations described. These studies have confirmed the importance of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes and identified other loci that are currently being explored. However, estimates of heritability suggest that genetic factors are only responsible for around 50% of the risk of developing RA1. This means that environmental factors and gene-environment interactions must also play a significant role. Despite this understanding,… ER -