(Reuters Health)—Workers exposed to airborne toxins may have an elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints, a Swedish study suggests. Among men, bricklayers, concrete workers and electricians had at least twice the risk of RA they would have in certain other occupations,…
Environmental Factors in Pediatric Systemic Autoimmune Diseases
Systemic autoimmune diseases are thought to result from immune dysregulation in genetically susceptible individuals who were exposed to environmental risk factors. Many studies have identified genetic risk factors for these diseases, but concordance rates among monozygotic twins are 25–40%, suggesting that nonheritable environmental factors play a more prominent role.1,2 Through carefully conducted epidemiologic and other…