Arthritis Arthritis Basics

Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Family Link

Recent Discoveries
Several decades ago, doctors made a significant discovery when a genetic link was identified between the HLA marker HLA-B27 and the arthritic class of diseases called spondyloarthropathies. Work is still underway to pin down the actual role of HLA-B27 in triggering the inflammatory response associated with the disease.

In the following years, scientists found that patients who are carriers of a group of genes known as HLA-DR have an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis. The scientists have determined that four out of five people with this gene type appear to be at increased risk for the disease. Other genes also are suspected of being factors in the evolution of rheumatoid arthritis.

New research, announced recently at the 7th European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) annual congress by researchers from Norway and the Netherlands, revealed that the presence of a gene called protein tyrosine phosphatase N22 (PTPN22) is associated not only with a patient’s susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, but also to progression of the disease.

Finally, researchers have also recently announced that changes in a gene called runx1 appear to play a role in the autoimmune disease puzzle.

More Research is Needed
Despite these revelations, researchers need more data to establish the precise role of the genes already identified, and of other genes that appear to contribute to the immune response related to rheumatoid arthritis.

Identifying these genes is important because it helps to determine one’s susceptibility for the disease. However, doctors are beginning to recognize that certain genes also correlate with how severe the disease will be. Finding out how they work and the role they play will provide a unique opportunity to use genetic markers as prognostic tools in the management of the disease.

One of the most exciting developments from this genetic research is in the field of treatment. As researchers continue to study the genetic patterns involved, they hope that one day they will be better equipped to develop therapies that disarm the genes’ roles in the debilitating joint disease. Understanding how these genes work may also prove useful in designing diagnostic methods to identify the disease at the earliest possible stages.

For now, however, it is important to know if rheumatoid arthritis is in one’s family history. That is crucial because even if the signs of rheumatoid arthritis have not yet started, their presence in a family member may signal one’s predisposition toward developing the disease in the future.

<< Previous Page 2 of 2