 |
|
Pediatric researchers find possible 'master switch' gene in juvenile arthritis
July 02, 2008Researchers have found that a gene region known to play a role in some varieties of adult rheumatoid arthritis is also present in all types of childhood arthritis. The researchers say the responsible gene may be a "master switch" that helps turn on the debilitating disease.
Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reported on the link between the gene region and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The genetic variant is on chromosome 9 in a region housing two genes, TRAF1 and C5. The TRAF1 gene codes for a protein that regulates tumor necrosis factor, a chemical strongly associated with JIA. However, the researchers say further study is needed to determine whether the TRAF1 gene or the C5 gene is altered in the disease.
The study appears in the July 2008 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Lead authors are Terri H. Finkel, M.D., Ph.D.; Hakon Hakonarson, M.D. Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics; and Edward M. Behrens, M.D., all of Children's Hospital.
"There are only a few genes that may act as master switches like this to regulate autoimmune diseases," said Finkel, the chief of Rheumatology at Children's Hospital. "This switch we discovered probably has to be an 'ON' gene and when it interacts with other genes and environmental triggers, a child may get juvenile arthritis."
The study compared 67 Caucasian patients being treated for JIA to 1,952 healthy Caucasian control subjects recruited within the hospital's patient network. While the cause of JIA is unknown, results from this study back up past research that shows arthritis arises in a genetically susceptible individual due to environmental factors.
About 300,000 children in the U.S. have JIA, of which about 1,500 children are seen at Children's Hospital. JIA is the inflammation of the lining tissues of a joint and often causes stiffness and pain. While there is no cure for JIA, medicines and physical therapy can help maintain movement and reduce swelling and pain. Researchers have previously identified seven subtypes of JIA.
"We think this finding may be a clue to the specific disease pathway that leads to arthritis," said Behrens, a pediatric rheumatologist at Children's Hospital. "We currently use medicines called tumor necrosis factor blockers to treat children with JIA. However, not all children respond to these drugs, and other children may develop severe allergic reactions and other side effects. If we can fully identify all the genes that interact with environmental risk factors, we might develop more targeted treatments with fewer side effects."
"The high-resolution genome-wide association approach has very markedly enhanced our ability to identify disease genes in complex disorders such as JIA, and what is remarkable about this discovery is that it appears there may be a common genetic factor predisposing to all seven forms of the disease," said Dr. Hakonarson.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
"There are only a few genes that may act as master switches like this to regulate autoimmune diseases," said Finkel, the chief of Rheumatology at Children's Hospital. "This switch we discovered probably has to be an 'ON' gene and when it interacts with other genes and environmental triggers, a child may get juvenile arthritis."
The study compared 67 Caucasian patients being treated for JIA to 1,952 healthy Caucasian control subjects recruited within the hospital's patient network. While the cause of JIA is unknown, results from this study back up past research that shows arthritis arises in a genetically susceptible individual due to environmental factors.
About 300,000 children in the U.S. have JIA, of which about 1,500 children are seen at Children's Hospital. JIA is the inflammation of the lining tissues of a joint and often causes stiffness and pain. While there is no cure for JIA, medicines and physical therapy can help maintain movement and reduce swelling and pain. Researchers have previously identified seven subtypes of JIA.
"We think this finding may be a clue to the specific disease pathway that leads to arthritis," said Behrens, a pediatric rheumatologist at Children's Hospital. "We currently use medicines called tumor necrosis factor blockers to treat children with JIA. However, not all children respond to these drugs, and other children may develop severe allergic reactions and other side effects. If we can fully identify all the genes that interact with environmental risk factors, we might develop more targeted treatments with fewer side effects."
"The high-resolution genome-wide association approach has very markedly enhanced our ability to identify disease genes in complex disorders such as JIA, and what is remarkable about this discovery is that it appears there may be a common genetic factor predisposing to all seven forms of the disease," said Dr. Hakonarson.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Current Rheumatoid Arthritis Events RSSLoss of sleep, even for a single night, increases inflammation in the body
Loss of sleep, even for a few short hours during the night, can prompt one's immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs.
Bone marrow stem cells may help control inflammatory bowel disease
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model.
Researchers discover how rheumatoid arthritis causes bone loss
Researchers have discovered key details of how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) destroys bone, according to a study published in the Aug. 22 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Protein complementarity may offer new insights into autoimmune diseases
The discovery of "complementary" antibodies against plasminogen in patients with blood vessel inflammation caused by anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) may lead to new approaches to research, testing, and treatment of ANCA vasculitis and other autoimmune diseases, suggests a paper in the December Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
New Guidelines for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis
Proven combinations of medicines and the introduction of new anti-arthritis drugs have significantly improved the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to guidelines issued by the American College of Rheumatology and co-authored by physicians at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Once suspect protein found to promote DNA repair, prevent cancer
An abundant chromosomal protein that binds to damaged DNA prevents cancer development by enhancing DNA repair, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
Small protein may have big role in making more bone and less fat
A small protein may have a big role in helping you make more bone and less fat, researchers say.
Complexity of Crohn's disease revealed as 'gene' count tops 30
New research has trebled the number of genetic regions known to be implicated in Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, to over thirty.
Heavy birthweight babies twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis
Heavy birthweight female babies are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood as their average birthweight peers, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Heavy birthweight increases risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
People who have a birthweight over 10 pounds are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis when they are adults compared to individuals born with an average birthweight.
More Rheumatoid Arthritis News Articles
 | The New Arthritis Breakthrough: The Only Medical Therapy Clinically Proven to Produce Long-term Improvement and Remission of RA, Lupus, Juvenile RS, Fibromyalgia, ... & Other Inflammatory Forms of Arthritis by Henry Scammell ...can be miraculous for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.-- Health & Healing, Tomorrow's Medicine... |
 | Conquering Arthritis: What Doctors Don't Tell You Because They Don't Know: 9 Secrets I Learned the Hard Way by Barbara D. Allan This book provides hard-earned, practical, detailed information that is critical for successful healing of arthritis, but that has never before been collected in one book. Without this information many people with arthritis will not get well. The information is organized into a well-researched, easy-to-follow plan for getting well again and includes case histories of people with dramatic and... |
 | The First Year: Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (First Year, The) by M.E.A. McNeil Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a disease characterized by inflammation of the joints, is one of the most disabling forms of arthritis and affects over two million people in the United States. Without proper treatment it can lead to long-term joint damage, chronic pain, loss of function, and disability. From the first moment of her diagnosis, author M.E.A. McNeil took charge and educated herself on... |
 | How to Deal With Back Pain and Rheumatoid Joint Pain by Fereydoon Batmanghelidj Dr. Batmanghelidj received his formal medical education at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School of London University. He provides for the layman a clear and comprehensive book on the origins of chronic pain. His clinical and scientific research exposes, for the first time, that recurring "chronic pains" are a signal system of the body indicating severe general or local dehydration. Most of... |
 | What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders: The Revolutionary, Drug-Free Treatments for Thyroid Disease, Lupus, MS, IBD, Chronic Fatigue; Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Other Diseases by Stephen B. Edelson, Deborah Mitchell Autoimmune disorders are not well understood and therefore difficult to treat. The result is that there are millions of Americans who are suffering because they aren't being diagnosed properly, or getting the correct medical treatment they need. Here, Dr. Edelson discusses the most common types of autoimmune diseases, including lupus, Chron's disease, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and... |
 | The Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Good Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, 3rd Edition (Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Good Living with Rheumatoid Arthriti) by Dorothy Foltz-Gray From the Arthritis Foundation, a trusted source of health information and guidance for more than 50 years, Good Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis, 3rd Edition, explains new research and treatments in clear, simple language. Readers will learn how to be proactive patients, how to stretch daily to reduce pain and increase flexibility, and how to judge the many over-the-counter drugs and supplements... |
 | Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection {Targeting and Treating the Cause of Chronic Illness} by Katherine M. Poehlmann Foreword by Dr. Harold W. Clark, author of "Why Arthritis?" Appendices by Dr. Joseph Mercola (mercola.com) and Dr. Garth Nicolson (Institute for Molecular Medicine) Definitions of terms ****************************** EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE CONSULTING YOUR DOCTOR! ****************************** A research scientist and former arthritis sufferer outlines a proven treatment that... |
 | Arthritis: Fight it with the Blood Type Diet: The Individualized Plan for Defeating the Pain of Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid (Dr. Peter D'adamo's Eat Right for Your Type Health Library) by Peter J. D'Adamo, Catherine Whitney Four blood types, four battle plans to fight arthritis. Bestselling author Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo delivers four unique, individualized battle plans for defeating the pain of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other inflammatory conditions. A new approach to one of the most painful and debilitating health... |
 | What To Do When The Doctor Says It's Rheumatoid Arthritis: Stop Your Pain, Become More Active, and Learn How to Talk to Your Doctors by Winnie Yu, Harry D. Fischer Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful, incurable connective-tissue disease that attacks the hands, feet, and joints and may lead to deformities and permanent disabilities. This book, written by a doctor and health journalist will offer comprehensive medical advice and lifestyle information for the nearly three million Americans who suffer from this disease. The book uses mind-body techniques and... |
 | Arthritis Without Pain: The Miracle of TNF Blockers by Scott J Zashin MD, Laurette Hesser The Long-Awaited Breakthrough for Arthritis Pain The miracle of TNF blockers is this: they work. Nearly two of every three patients who try these medications get lasting relief from joint pain and inflammation. Known as biologic DMARDs, these high-tech drugs inhibit the action of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a protein that contributes to joint damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis,... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |