Arthritogenic

Arthritogenic is an adjective used in medical and scientific contexts to describe substances, pathogens, or immune responses that have the potential to initiate or promote arthritis, the inflammation of joints. The term can apply to infectious agents that cause infectious or septic arthritis, as well as to immune-mediated processes that lead to autoimmune or inflammatory joint disease.

Mechanistically, arthritogenic factors may act by direct invasion of joint tissues, by immune-mediated inflammation, or by generating immune responses that cross-react with joint antigens. This can involve local infection of the synovium, formation of immune complexes, exposure of autoantigens, or activation of autoreactive T cells and autoantibodies. Host factors such as genetics, prior health, and environmental influences influence whether an arthritogenic exposure results in clinically significant arthritis. The concept is also used in discussions of arthritogenic potential related to vaccines, therapies, or exposures that might provoke joint inflammation in susceptible individuals.

Examples in the literature include arthritogenic viruses, notably alphaviruses such as Chikungunya and Ross River virus, which can cause acute and chronic arthritis. Bacterial pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, can be described as arthritogenic when they provoke Lyme arthritis. In autoimmune contexts, certain epitopes may be deemed arthritogenic if they trigger cross-reactive immune responses that target joint tissues, often studied in relation to rheumatoid arthritis. The term remains a descriptive qualifier rather than a definitive causal label, varying with host context and the broader clinical picture.