PLoS Genetics (Sep 2012)

Functional variants in NFKBIE and RTKN2 involved in activation of the NF-κB pathway are associated with rheumatoid arthritis in Japanese.

  • Keiko Myouzen,
  • Yuta Kochi,
  • Yukinori Okada,
  • Chikashi Terao,
  • Akari Suzuki,
  • Katsunori Ikari,
  • Tatsuhiko Tsunoda,
  • Atsushi Takahashi,
  • Michiaki Kubo,
  • Atsuo Taniguchi,
  • Fumihiko Matsuda,
  • Koichiro Ohmura,
  • Shigeki Momohara,
  • Tsuneyo Mimori,
  • Hisashi Yamanaka,
  • Naoyuki Kamatani,
  • Ryo Yamada,
  • Yusuke Nakamura,
  • Kazuhiko Yamamoto

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1002949
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 9
p. e1002949

Abstract

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Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease with a complex etiology, leading to inflammation of synovial tissue and joint destruction. Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and two replication studies in the Japanese population (7,907 cases and 35,362 controls), we identified two gene loci associated with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility (NFKBIE at 6p21.1, rs2233434, odds ratio (OR) = 1.20, P = 1.3 × 10(-15); RTKN2 at 10q21.2, rs3125734, OR = 1.20, P = 4.6 × 10(-9)). In addition to two functional non-synonymous SNPs in NFKBIE, we identified candidate causal SNPs with regulatory potential in NFKBIE and RTKN2 gene regions by integrating in silico analysis using public genome databases and subsequent in vitro analysis. Both of these genes are known to regulate the NF-κB pathway, and the risk alleles of the genes were implicated in the enhancement of NF-κB activity in our analyses. These results suggest that the NF-κB pathway plays a role in pathogenesis and would be a rational target for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.