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10 Oct 2008
The immune systems of women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis seem to normalise when they become pregnant, a new study indicated.
Published in the October issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, the research was carried out by staff at German institution Charité-University Medicine and suggests this could be why they go into remission.
In the study, a total of six women with rheumatoid arthritis - and eight control participants who did not have the condition - were studied during the third trimester of pregnancy and again 24 weeks after giving birth.
The researchers tested gene production and found the fewest difference between the healthy women, with ten genes increased and 50 decreased in activity after delivery - in comparison to during pregnancy, web resource Med Page Today notes.
"But notably, the researchers said, there were also few differences between pregnant rheumatoid arthritis patients and the pregnant healthy volunteers - with 39 genes increased and 48 decreased in activity," the site reports.
The researchers called for additional study to improve knowledge in "this highly interesting period of immunologic readjustment".
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