类风湿性关节炎(rheumatoid arthritis,RA)是一种以关节滑膜炎为特征的慢性自身免疫功能障碍性疾病。目前认为本病发生可能与患者的遗传基因变异、感染和性激素等有关。上述的一或多种因素共同构成RA发病的始动因子,引起RA关节滑膜组织结构的改变,使其具有抗原性。机体免疫系统对这些自身抗原作出应答,从而导致异常免疫反应的发生。表现为:(l)RA病人外周血中可检测出高滴度类风湿因子(RF),OKT~+(T_h)与OKT_8~+(T_s)细胞亚群比值改变;(2)滑膜组织增厚,并有大量淋巴细胞和单核 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune dysfunction characterized by synovitis. At present, the occurrence of this disease may be related to the patient’s genetic variation, infection and sex hormones. One or more of the above-mentioned factors together constitute the initiating factor of RA pathogenesis, causing the change of the synovial tissue structure of RA joint to make it antigenic. The body’s immune system responds to these autoantigens, leading to an abnormal immune response. The results showed as follows: (1) The high titer of rheumatoid factor (RF), OKT ~ + (T_h) and OKT_8 ~ + (T_s) cell subsets in RA patients were detected; (2) Thick, and a large number of lymphocytes and mononuclear