Sodium chloride (NaCl) has been proposed as a driving factor in autoimmune diseases through the induction of pathogenic CD4
Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were fed a normal or high-salt diet 
NaCl increased murine and human Th17 cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. Clinical and histological arthritis was more severe in the high-salt-fed CIA mice, compared to control CIA mice. The proportion of Th17 cells among splenocytes was higher in CIA mice fed a high-salt diet. Expression of synovial and intestinal IL-17 was also higher in high-salt-fed CIA mice. Comparison of synovial fluid between RA patients and OA patients revealed that Na
This study suggests that NaCl can aggravate arthritis by affecting Th17 differentiation. Accordingly, limiting salt intake may be helpful for treating inflammatory arthritis, such as RA.