Reiter's Syndrome.
Last updated Friday, February 11, 2005
Causes and effectsWhat causes reiter's syndrome? The direct cause of Reiter's syndrome is not known; however, both
genetic and environmental factors are involved. About 75 percent of
people with Reiter's syndrome have a gene called HLA-B27. HLA-B27 is
one of a family of genes that play an important role in the body's
defense against infection.
It is important to note that having the HLA-B27 gene does not mean
you will develop Reiter's syndrome. Approximately eight percent of
white Americans and two to three percent of African Americans carry the
gene; the majority of them don't have any form of arthritis. Having the
gene, however, may predispose certain people to react to an infectious
agent that enters the body through the urinary or intestinal tract.
When people get Reiter's syndrome through inflammation of the
intestinal tract, it usually follows a bout of diarrhea caused by
eating foods contaminated with bacteria such as salmonella, shigella,
campylobacter, or yersinia. There is speculation that the inflammation
in the urinary tract is caused by a variety of different organisms, but
no specific infectious agent has been identified.
Some researchers
have found fragments of infectious agents in the affected joints. The
arthritis appears to result from an immune or inflammatory reaction to
the fragments. Exactly how joints and other organs become involved
after the initial infection is not known.
Studies show that some people develop or have a relapse of Reiter's
syndrome after having sexual intercourse with a new partner, yet
Reiter's syndrome itself cannot be transmitted through sexual contact.
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