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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffCertain factors increase your risk of reactive arthritis:
- Sex. Reactive arthritis occurs most frequently in men 20 to 40 years old. Though women also can acquire reactive arthritis, they usually have milder signs and symptoms. Women and men are equally likely to develop reactive arthritis in reaction to food-borne infections. However, men are more likely than are women to develop reactive arthritis in response to sexually transmitted bacteria.
- Hereditary factors. Reactive arthritis may have a genetic component because many people with the condition also have a certain molecule on the surfaces of their cells that can be inherited. Having this genetic marker — called the human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) — doesn't mean that you'll develop reactive arthritis, but it can increase your chances of developing reactive arthritis if you're exposed to specific bacteria.
References
- Lam GK, et al. Reactive arthritis. In: Imboden JB, et al. Current Rheumatology Diagnosis & Treatment. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2725203. Accessed Jan. 31, 2011.
- Yu DT. Reactive arthritis (formerly Reiter syndrome). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Questions and answers about reactive arthritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Reactive_Arthritis/default.asp. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Yu DT, et al. Undifferentiated spondyloarthritis and reactive arthritis. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1807/0.html. Accessed Jan. 31, 2011.
- Septic arthritis. American Association for Clinical Chemistry. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/septic.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Questions and answers about gout. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/default.asp. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Carter JD, et al. Reactive arthritis: Clinical aspects and medical management. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2009;35:21.
- Wechalekar MD, et al. Prolonged remission of chronic reactive arthritis treated with three infusions of infliximab. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. 2010;16:79.
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