Causes of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
The major and prominent cause of JIA is yet to be completely understood, as that’s basically why it means “idiopathic” [3]. One thing about JIA is the fact that it is an autoimmune disease. This is a situation in which the body’s immune system tends to attack its own healthy tissues and cells. The body’s immune system is seen as a way in which the body fights and protects itself against bacteria, illness, and injury.
The human body can, in one way, protect itself by causing inflammation to occur. However, when one has JIA, the body creates unnecessary inflammation in a joint or even series of joints, thereby leading to pain and stiffness. The causes of JIA may include environmental factors or may even be genetic. It means that the JIA disease can either occur as a result of being exposed to certain things in the environment, or that the disease runs in the family. The JIA is attached to part of a gene which is referred to as “HLA antigen DR4” [4], as a person with this antigen may be particularly prone to having the disease.