MORPHOFUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN THE INGUINAL LYMPH NODES OF OUTBRED WHITE RATS UNDER CONDITIONS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the joints and the lymphoid system. Lymph nodes play a central role in the organism’s immune defense mechanisms and undergo morphofunctional changes in response to inflammatory processes. Previous studies have shown that under conditions of rheumatoid arthritis, the number of lymphoid follicles, thickness of cortical and paracortical zones, stromal components, and the proportion of germinal centers in lymph nodes change significantly. Age is also an important factor influencing structural and immunoactive alterations in lymph nodes.