A gene expression signature for recent onset rheumatoid arthritis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
BACKGROUND
In previous studies the presence of a distinct gene expression pattern has been shown in peripheral blood cells from patients with autoimmune disease.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether other specific signatures might be used to identify subsets of these autoimmune diseases and whether gene expression patterns in early disease might identify pathogenetic factors.


METHODS
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were acquired from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and analysed by microarrays containing over 4300 named human genes. Patients with RA for <2 years were compared with subjects with longstanding RA (average duration 10 years) and with patients with other immune or autoimmune diagnoses.


RESULTS
Cluster analyses permitted separation of the patients with early RA (ERA) from those with longstanding disease. Comparison with other patient groups suggested that the ERA signature showed some overlap with that seen in the normal immune response to viral antigen as well as with a subset of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.


CONCLUSIONS
The ERA signature may reflect, in part, a response to an unknown infectious agent. Furthermore, shared features with some lupus patients suggest that common aetiological factors and pathogenetic pathways may be involved in these two autoimmune disorders.
Olsen
N
N
Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37232, USA. nancy.olsen@UTSouthwestern.edu
Sokka
T
T
Seehorn
C L
CL
Kraft
B
B
Maas
K
K
Moore
J
J
Aune
T M
TM
D000208:Acute Disease; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction