الفهرس 
Introduction and RationaleOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory, autoimmune disabling disease that affects people in their reproductive years. The exact etiology of RA is still unknown. However, Genetic factors, environmental factors, autoimmunity and female gender are considered the main factors to induce RA.
The contribution of genetic factors on RA pathogenesis has been estimated to be 60 %, these factors include both HLA genes (especially HLA-DR) and non-HLA genes. The association between HLA-DR and RA can be explained by shared epitope theory.