Genetics of rheumatoid arthritis

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: Mayo Clin Proc. 2006 Jan;81(1):94-101.

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Genetics of rheumatoid arthritis.

Turesson C, Matteson EL.

Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester,

Minn 55905, USA.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disorder of

unknown cause with variable clinical expression. About 70% of

patients are women. Genetic factors play an important role and likely

account for about 60% of disease susceptibility and expression. The

association with the HLA-DRB1 gene is the best understood, although

several non-HLA loci have been linked to RA, including the 18q21

region of the TNFRSR11A gene, which encodes the receptor activator of

nuclear factor kappaB, important in bone resorption in RA. Genetic

factors are also important in the treatment of RA because the

activity of enzymes relevant in the metabolism of drugs such as

methotrexate and azathioprine, including methylenetetrahydrofolate

reductase and thiopurine methyltransferase, are in part genetically

determined.