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The cause of RA is not yet known, although research has shown that the underlying damage involves the immune system. Some data indicate that the disease is genetically based and that it occurs more often in people with specific antibody characteristics. RA's major symptom is chronic inflammation, with gradual thickening of the synovia (the thin membrane surrounding a joint), which collapses and thickens. This is the start of a series of processes that slowly cause chronic cartilage damage.
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