Causes of Reiter's syndrome

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

| A |

| B |

| C |

| D |

| E |

| F |

| G |

| H |

| I |

| J |

| K |

| L |

| M |

| N |

| O |

| P |

| Q |

| R |

| S |

| T |

| U |

| V |

| W |

| X |

| Y |

Reiterâ€™s syndrome is caused by the sexually transmitted infection, urethritis, or by gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is usually caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. The body's immune system reacts to both these infections by attacking the bacteria. Reiter's syndrome occurs when the immune system over-reacts and attacks the body's own tissues instead.

Reiter's syndrome is most common in young men who have just recovered from non-specific urethritis. This is a sexually transmitted infection, often caused by the chlamydia germ. There may have been no symptoms of the infection at all.

Reiterâ€™s syndrome can also happen after recovery from dysentery, and has been seen after epidemics, for example during wartime.

Many people who get an infection that can cause Reiter's syndrome will not go on to develop the condition. Appoximately 1 in 20 people inherit a genetic tissue type (HLA-B27) which increases the risk of developing Reiter's syndrome after a bacterial infection. Approximately three quarters of people with Reiter's syndrome have the tissue type HLA-B27.