Mast cells in early rheumatoid arthritis associate with disease severity and support B cell autoantibody production

摘要

Objectives Mast cells (MCs) are involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, their contribution remains controversial. To establish their role in RA, we analysed their presence in the synovium of treatment-naive patients with early RA and their association and functional relationship with histological features of synovitis.