RELAPSING POLYCHONDRITIS

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rheumatic autoimmune disease. It is a rare disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s cartilage. RP disease progression includes pain and deformity, which accompanies inflammation and deterioration of cartilage within the ear, nose, trachea and joints. 

RP research findings are also of interest because the disease is a true tissue-specific autoimmune disease which could enlighten our understanding of other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.