Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jan 8;9(1):2.
doi: 10.3390/epigenomes9010002.

DNA and RNA Methylation in Rheumatoid Arthritis-A Narrative Review

Kajetan Kiełbowski  1 , Estera Bakinowska  1 , Anna Gorący-Rosik  2 , Karolina Figiel  1 , Roksana Judek  1 , Jakub Rosik  1 , Paweł Dec  3 , Andrzej Modrzejewski  4 , Andrzej Pawlik  1
Affiliations
Review

DNA and RNA Methylation in Rheumatoid Arthritis-A Narrative Review

Kajetan Kiełbowski et al. Epigenomes. .

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive autoimmune disease leading to structural and functional joint damage and, eventually, to physical disability. The pathogenesis of the disease is highly complex and involves interactions between fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and immune cells, which stimulate the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors, leading to chronic inflammation. In recent years, studies have demonstrated the importance of epigenetics in RA. Specifically, epigenetic alterations have been suggested to serve as diagnostic and treatment biomarkers, while epigenetic mechanisms are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of RA. Epigenetic regulators coordinate gene expression, and in the case of inflammatory diseases, they regulate the expression of a broad range of inflammatory molecules. In this review, we discuss current evidence on the involvement of DNA and RNA methylation in RA.

Keywords: DNA methylation; RNA methylation; epigenetics; rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression. Over the years, studies have demonstrated dysregulated epigenetic processes in rheumatoid arthritis that contribute to the progression of the disease and could be utilized in the diagnosis process. Created in BioRender. Kiełbowski, K. (2024) BioRender.com/l26w541 (accessed on 15 May 2024).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Potential benefits associated with monitoring DNA methylation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Created in BioRender. Kiełbowski, K. (2024) BioRender.com/j38i306 (accessed on 15 May 2024).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Rosik J., Kulpa J., Szczepanik M., Pawlik A. The Role of Semaphorins in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Cells. 2024;13:618. doi: 10.3390/cells13070618. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Almutairi K., Nossent J., Preen D., Keen H., Inderjeeth C. The global prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis: A meta-analysis based on a systematic review. Rheumatol. Int. 2021;41:863–877. doi: 10.1007/s00296-020-04731-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Di Matteo A., Bathon J.M., Emery P. Rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 2023;402:2019–2033. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01525-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Szostak B., Gorący A., Pala B., Rosik J., Ustianowski Ł., Pawlik A. Latest models for the discovery and development of rheumatoid arthritis drugs. Expert Opin. Drug Discov. 2022;17:1261–1278. doi: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2131765. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Szostak B., Machaj F., Rosik J., Pawlik A. Using pharmacogenetics to predict methotrexate response in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Expert Opin. Drug Metab. Toxicol. 2020;16:617–626. doi: 10.1080/17425255.2020.1777279. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources