touchREVIEWS in RMD

The preamble of the World Health Organization’s constitution defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.1 An optimal state of health is considered a fundamental human right. When each human has the ability and opportunity to attain optimal health, only then can a […]

Systemic rheumatic diseases (RDs) commonly arise during a woman’s reproductive years and may have implications for family planning and pregnancy. Among the RDs, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are classically associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), including miscarriage, foetal loss, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preterm delivery.1–4 Although SLE pregnancy outcomes have improved over time, maternal mortality remains higher in women […]

Many environmental factors have been associated with the development of autoimmunity.1 Infections, for example, can cause reactive arthritis by triggering a (genetically) predisposed immune system.2 Smoking, in a similar, but arguably different, way, can trigger the production of autoantibodies by inducing citrullination of proteins.3,4 Exposure to silica dust, which is a crystalline derivate of quartz commonly found in construction materials and mining activities, has been shown to cause […]