Post by LymeEnigma on Jan 22, 2009 19:57:00 GMT -8
Reiter's Syndrome
Reiter's syndrome is a disorder that causes three seemingly unrelated symptoms: arthritis, redness of the eyes, and urinary tract signs.
Doctors sometimes refer to Reiter's syndrome as a seronegative spondyloarthropathy because it is one of a group of disorders that cause inflammation throughout the body, particularly in parts of the spine and at other joints where tendons attach to bones. (Examples of other seronegative spondyloarthropathies include psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and inflammatory bowel syndrome arthritis.) Inflammation is a characteristic reaction of tissues to injury or disease and is marked by four signs: swelling, redness, heat, and pain.
Reiter's syndrome is also referred to as reactive arthritis, which means that the arthritis occurs as a "reaction" to an infection that started elsewhere in the body. In many patients, the infection begins in the genitourinary tract (bladder, urethra, thingy, or girl thingy). The infection is most commonly passed from one person to another by sexual intercourse. This form of the disorder is sometimes called genitourinary or urogenital Reiter's syndrome. Another form of the disorder, called enteric or gastrointestinal Reiter's syndrome, develops when a person eats food or handles substances that are tainted with bacteria.
What Causes Reiter's Syndrome?
When a preceding infection is recognized, symptoms of Reiter's syndrome appear about 1 to 3 weeks after the infection. Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacteria most often associated with Reiter's syndrome acquired through sexual contact. Several different bacteria are associated with Reiter's syndrome acquired through the digestive tract, including Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, and Campylobacter. People may become infected with these bacteria after eating or handling improperly prepared food, such as meats that are not stored at the correct temperature.
Doctors do not know exactly why some people exposed to these bacteria develop the disorder and others do not, but they have identified a genetic factor (HLA-B27) that increases a person's chance of developing Reiter's syndrome. About 80 percent of people with Reiter's syndrome are HLA-B27 positive. Only 6 percent of people who do not have the syndrome have the HLA-B27 gene.
Read the entire article: healthlink.mcw.edu/article/926056398.html
Reiter's syndrome is a disorder that causes three seemingly unrelated symptoms: arthritis, redness of the eyes, and urinary tract signs.
Doctors sometimes refer to Reiter's syndrome as a seronegative spondyloarthropathy because it is one of a group of disorders that cause inflammation throughout the body, particularly in parts of the spine and at other joints where tendons attach to bones. (Examples of other seronegative spondyloarthropathies include psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and inflammatory bowel syndrome arthritis.) Inflammation is a characteristic reaction of tissues to injury or disease and is marked by four signs: swelling, redness, heat, and pain.
Reiter's syndrome is also referred to as reactive arthritis, which means that the arthritis occurs as a "reaction" to an infection that started elsewhere in the body. In many patients, the infection begins in the genitourinary tract (bladder, urethra, thingy, or girl thingy). The infection is most commonly passed from one person to another by sexual intercourse. This form of the disorder is sometimes called genitourinary or urogenital Reiter's syndrome. Another form of the disorder, called enteric or gastrointestinal Reiter's syndrome, develops when a person eats food or handles substances that are tainted with bacteria.
What Causes Reiter's Syndrome?
When a preceding infection is recognized, symptoms of Reiter's syndrome appear about 1 to 3 weeks after the infection. Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacteria most often associated with Reiter's syndrome acquired through sexual contact. Several different bacteria are associated with Reiter's syndrome acquired through the digestive tract, including Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, and Campylobacter. People may become infected with these bacteria after eating or handling improperly prepared food, such as meats that are not stored at the correct temperature.
Doctors do not know exactly why some people exposed to these bacteria develop the disorder and others do not, but they have identified a genetic factor (HLA-B27) that increases a person's chance of developing Reiter's syndrome. About 80 percent of people with Reiter's syndrome are HLA-B27 positive. Only 6 percent of people who do not have the syndrome have the HLA-B27 gene.
Read the entire article: healthlink.mcw.edu/article/926056398.html