A Systematic Review of the Role Played by Aquaporins in the Etiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins that are essential for preserving the equilibrium of water. These proteins also regulate cell volume and cell migration as well as apoptosis that relates to various inflammatory diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: From Scopus and Web of Science databases, recent report depicting the role of AQPs on RA pathophysiology between 2018-2023 were used to search related articles using specific keywords and parentheses to understand the current scenario of AQPs during RA pathogenesis as per PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of 83 articles were retrieved initially, and after using automation tools, the number of reports came down to 20. In the subsequent steps, articles were further excluded based upon open access availability, relevant abstract, text, title, case study and related information related to this work. Finally, 5 articles were retrieved from which data was extracted for summarising this finding. Our results showed that AQPs are up-regulated in the synovium and cartilage of people with RA, and that AQP1 may be responsible for jointswelling and synovial inflammation. It also stimulates anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl2, Bax, and caspase 3, which leads to synovial hyperplasia. Moreover, β-catenin and NF-κβ signaling pathways are stimulated and over-expressed in the presence of AQPs, which also promote the disease severity. Conclusion: In summary, this study reports that the overexpression of AQPs stimulates several intracellular signaling pathways crucial for RA development and opens a new avenue for therapeutic approaches for future RA drug development.