已发表论文

类风湿关节炎中骨质疏松症的骨免疫学:新兴机制及治疗意义

 

Authors Chen L, Liang L

Received 19 August 2025

Accepted for publication 6 December 2025

Published 25 December 2025 Volume 2025:18 Pages 7813—7822

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S558927

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2

Editor who approved publication: Dr Woon-Man Kung

Lingcai Chen, Lili Liang

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The People’s Hospital of Yuhuan (Yuhuan People’s Hospital Health Community Group), Yuhuan, 317600, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Lili Liang, Email lianglili032@163.com

Abstract: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) exhibit a significantly higher incidence of secondary osteoporosis compared to the general population, leading to substantially increased fracture risk, compromised quality of life, and poorer prognosis. Traditional views attribute this primarily to inflammatory activity, immobilization, and glucocorticoid use. However, the emergence of osteoimmunology has revealed deeper mechanisms, demonstrating that RA-induced osteoporosis represents a classic paradigm of osteoimmune dysregulation. This review systematically synthesizes recent advances (past 5– 10 years) in understanding the pathophysiology of RA-induced osteoporosis from an osteoimmunological perspective. Research indicates that within the synovial and bone marrow microenvironments of RA, activated immune cells and stromal cells secrete abundant pro-inflammatory cytokines and express signaling molecules. This process severely disrupts core regulatory pathways of bone remodeling, leading to a profound imbalance characterized by excessive bone resorption and inadequate bone formation. Key mediators of this imbalance include dysregulation of the RANKL/RANK/OPG system and upregulation of potent inhibitors of the bone-forming Wnt pathway. Complex interactions between immune cells and bone cells are critical in establishing a localized bone-destructive microenvironment. Emerging research areas, including gut microbiota dysregulation, epigenetic mechanisms, and neuro-immune interactions, provide novel insights into these mechanisms. This review emphasizes that dysregulation of the osteoimmune system constitutes the core pathophysiological basis of RA-induced osteoporosis. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms is crucial for developing targeted bone-protective therapies and guiding future clinical strategies.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, RA, secondary osteoporosis, osteoimmunology, immune cells, bone metabolism regulation, bone-destructive microenvironment