Progress in spondylarthritis. Progress in studies of the genetics of ankylosing spondylitis.
The advent of high-throughput SNP genotyping methods has advanced research into the genetics of common complex genetic diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) rapidly in recent times. The identification of associations with the genes IL23R and ERAP1 have been robustly replicated, and advances have been made in studies of the major histocompatibility complex genetics of AS, and of KIR gene variants and the disease. The findings are already being translated into increased understanding of the immunological pathways involved in AS, and raising novel potential therapies. The current studies in AS remain underpowered, and no full genomewide association study has yet been reported in AS; such studies are likely to add to the significant advances that have already been made.
Brown
Matthew A
MA
Diamantina Institute of Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Brisbane 4102, Australia. matt.brown@uq.edu.au
D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology