Epigenetic Alterations in Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-mediated disease that primarily affects diarthrodial joints. Susceptibility and severity of this disease are influenced by nongenetic factors, such as environmental stress, suggesting an important role of epigenetic changes. In this review, we summarize the epigenetic changes (DNA methylation, histone modification and miRNA expression) in fibroblast-like synoviocytes, which are the joint-lining mesenchymal cells that play an important role in joint inflammation and damage. We also review the effects of these epigenetic changes on rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis and discuss their therapeutic potential.

Keywords::

• epigenetics
• fibroblast-like synoviocytes
• histone
• methylation
• microRNA
• rheumatoid arthritis

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported, in part, by grants from the Rheumatology Research Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases R01 AR065466. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported, in part, by grants from the Rheumatology Research Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases R01 AR065466. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.