NEUROTRANSMITTER STATUS AND REMISSION OF RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS IN PREGNANCY

Hormonal, immunological and neural factors contribute, but none exclus ively, to the remission of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in pregnant women . It is proposed (1) that a reset of neurotransmitter status early in pregnancy (associated with entranced dopaminergic (DA) activity and su btly modified norepinephrinergic-DA functional interrelationships, and altered cholinergic function) initiates and maintains specific change s in immunological responses and in the endocrine system; that these c hanges collectively impose an alternative order of efficient physiolog ical function and metabolism which is inimical to the progress of RA a nd promotes remission and, as reported, also prevents onset of the dis ease in normal pregnancy; (2) that pregnancy converges the ANS profile of Caucasians on the profile normally observed in nonpregnant African s and is accompanied by the emergence of resemblances in certain aspec ts of metabolism; (3) that the reported low incidence of RA in nonpreg nant Africans and suppression of onset and remission of the disease in pregnant Caucasians underline the proposed major influence of a speci fic neurotransmitter profile in determining the risk for and course of RA.