Virally associated arthritis 2008: clinical, epidemiologic, and pathophysiologic considerations
1 Athens University School of Medicine, 2nd Department of Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, 114 Vass., Sophias Avenue, 115 27 Athens, Greece
2 Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk A50, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008, 10:215 doi:10.1186/ar2480
Published: 18 September 2008Abstract
Several viruses have been associated with the development of inflammatory arthritis, including the hepatitis viruses (hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus), HIV, the parvovirus B19, the human T-cell lymphotropic virus-I, and the alphaviruses. Here, we review the epidemiology, the pathophysiological mechanisms, the pertinent clinical and laboratory findings as well as the principles of therapy of the most common virus-associated arthritides. We believe that the knowledge of these key diagnostic and therapeutic features of virus-associated arthritides is important for the rheumatologist of the 21st century.
