Cytomegalovirus infection: friend or foe in rheumatoid arthritis?

Jean-Luc Davignon (1, 2) , Bernard Combe (3, 4, 5) , Alain Cantagrel (1, 2)

1 CPTP - Centre de Physiopathologie Toulouse Purpan
2 CHU Toulouse - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse
3 CHU - Hôpital Lapeyronie [Montpellier]
4 IGMM - Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier
5 CHRU Montpellier - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [Montpellier]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a β-herpesvirus that causes inflammation and remains for life in a latent state in their host. HCMV has been at the center of many hypotheses regarding RA. We have recently shown that HCMV infection impairs bone erosion through the induction of the mRNA-binding protein QKI5. Latently infected RA patients display a slower progression of bone erosion in patients from a national cohort. Our observations question the possible association between HCMV and the pathophysiology of RA. In this review, we examine the possibility that HCMV may be an aggravating factor of inflammation in RA while protecting from bone erosion. We also assess its relationship with other pathogens such as bacteria causing periodontitis and responsible for ACPA production. This review thus considers whether HCMV can be regarded as a friend or a foe in the pathogenesis and the course of RA.

Mots clés: Bone erosion; Cytomegalovirus; Inflammation; Osteoclast; QKI5; Rheumatoid arthritis

Domaines: Rhumatologie et système ostéo-articulaire; Maladies infectieuses; Virologie

Jean-Luc Davignon, Bernard Combe, Alain Cantagrel. Cytomegalovirus infection: friend or foe in rheumatoid arthritis?. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 2021, 23 (1), pp.16. ⟨10.1186/s13075-020-02398-3⟩. ⟨hal-03666540⟩