Juvenile Arthritis.
Last updated Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Causes and effectsCauses No one knows the cause of JRA, but we know that it involves
abnormalities of the immune system. The immune system defends our
bodies against bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances.
We do know that JRA is not contagious, so your child didn't "catch"
it from anyone and can't give it to anyone. We also know that heredity
plays some part in the development of several forms of arthritis.
However, the inherited trait alone does not cause the illness. We think
that this trait along with some other unknown factors triggers the
disease. It is unusual for more than one child in a family to have
arthritis.
Some research suggests that in autoimmune diseases such as JRA, one
type of white blood cells called lymphocytes loses the ability to tell
parts of one's body, such as cartilage, from harmful agents like
bacteria or viruses. This results in the release of chemicals that can
damage the body's own tissues, in a process called inflammation.
The painful joint swelling children with JRA experience is one
example of inflammation; another is iridocyclitis, an inflammation in
the front of the eye, near the iris.
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