I have posted in the past about the links discovered between various forms of arthritis and genetics. Here are a couple more genes that have been identified with an increased risk in arthritis.
HLA-B27
The first gene, HLA-B27, was determined in the 1960’s to have a link with spondyloarthropathies, which are a group of diseases that affect the spine and other joints. It was found that 90% of people with ankylosing spondylitis had the HLA-B27 gene but that only 7% of the general population has that specific gene. HLA-B27 has more recently been linked to psoriatic arthritis.
In the ten years following the discovery of the link to the HLA-B27 gene, researchers found a link between people with HLA-DR genes and an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The scientists believed that HLA-DR is a contributor to autoimmune disease.
HLA-DR4
The HLA-DR4 gene has been associated with a number of diseases such as Lyme disease and RA. Lyme disease is caused by at least three different species of bacteria which can be transmitted to humans via deer ticks. The symptoms of Lyme disease include:
- Inflammation
- Joint Pain
- Arthritis
People who have a more severe disease symptoms and do not respond well to treatments with antibiotics are more often found to have the HLA-DR4 gene. The theory is that once the bacteria moves to the joints, the immune response against it cross reacts with the person’s own joint tissue in people who have the HLA-DR4 gene, leading to an autoimmune reaction.
Other genes also are suspected of being major factors in the evolution of rheumatoid arthritis. In support of the effort to find additional genetic links to arthritis, the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium, consisting of 12 medical centers across the country, has been analyzing clinical findings and genetic material from 1,000 pairs of siblings who both have rheumatoid arthritis. By testing 400 different genetic regions, researchers hope to identify specific genes associated with the rheumatoid arthritis.
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Originally posted 2009-03-16 12:00:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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