RESEARCH - Type 1 diabetes associated with anti-CCP-positive RA

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Type 1 Diabetes Associated With Anti-CCP-Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 18 - People with type 1 diabetes

mellitus have an increased risk of a specific form of rheumatoid

arthritis (RA), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP)-positive

RA, according to the findings of a large case-control study of Swedish

adults published in the March issue of the journal Arthritis &

Rheumatism.

In addition, both diseases were associated with the 620W allele of the

protein tyrosine phosphatase N22 (PTPN22) gene, prompting the

researchers to suggest that this gene variant might " represent a

common pathway for the pathogenesis of these two diseases. "

" This provides the first evidence for an association between these

diseases at a population level, " coauthor Dr. P. Liao of

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, told Reuters Health. " The fact

that a genetic factor like PTPN22 contributes to the risk of both RA

and type 1 diabetes suggests that these diseases may share a common

disease pathway. Identification of important, shared disease mediators

is an important goal for both disease prevention and the development

of therapeutics. "

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589808

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