Positive association of SLC26A2 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate SLC26A2, the gene that causes diastrophic dysplasia, in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).


METHODS
Nine polymorphisms across the SLC26A2 gene locus were investigated using MassArray genotyping in 826 UK Caucasian JIA cases and 617 ethnically matched healthy controls.


RESULTS
Significant associations between multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across SLC26A2 and systemic-onset JIA were found. In each case, homozygosity for the minor allele conferred the increased risk of disease susceptibility: rs1541915 (odds ratio [OR] 2.3, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.4-3.7, P=0.0003), rs245056 (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.7-4.6, P=0.00002), rs245055 (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.0, P=0.004), rs245051 (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.4-3.7, P=0.0005), rs245076 (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-5.4, P=0.0015), and rs8073 (OR 2.3, 95% CI 0.9-5.6, P=0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings show the value of using monogenic disease loci as candidates for investigation in JIA. We identified a subgroup-specific association between SNPs within the SLC26A2 gene and systemic-onset JIA. Our findings also highlight systemic-onset JIA as being a distinctly different disease from that in the other JIA subgroups.
Lamb
Rebecca
R
Arthritis Research Campaign Epidemiology Unit and Centre for Molecular Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Thomson
Wendy
W
Ogilvie
Emma M
EM
Donn
Rachelle
R
D027321:Anion Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D000076988:Sulfate Transporters
D027321:Anion Transport Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C089651:SLC26A2 protein, human; D000076988:Sulfate Transporters