Association of the AIRE gene with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in a European population: a case control study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

AIRE is a transcriptional regulator playing a functional role in thymocyte education and negative selection by controlling the expression of peripheral antigens in the thymus. Recently, the AIRE gene was identified as a genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in genome wide association (GWA) studies performed in the Japanese population. According to the available data this association is restricted to the Asian population. However, different facts could influence the lack of association in Caucasian populations. The aim of this study was to further investigate the possible role of the AIRE gene in susceptibility to RA in a Caucasian population.

Methods

A total of 472 Spanish Caucasian RA patients and 475 ethnically matched controls were included in the

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Lozano JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3672784 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature