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. 1997 Oct;56(10):576–577. doi: 10.1136/ard.56.10.576

Genetic and environmental factors in polymyalgia rheumatica

M CIMMINO 1
PMCID: PMC1752263  PMID: 9389216

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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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Sun radiation of both the infrared and ultraviolet A types damages the internal elastic lamina (IEL) of superficial arteries facilitating the localisation of an unknown aetiological agent (viral proteins or degenerated vascular components?). This antigen is presented by macrophages (Ma ) and is recognised by CD4+ lymphocytes in the context of class II MHC molecules. Macrophages and lymphocytes are stimulated to produce increased amounts of cytokines, which can lead to PMR or to GCA, depending on their pattern. This mechanism is facilitated by predisposing factors, such as old age, female sex, and specific HLA-DRB1 alleles.

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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