title: Association between cannabinoid receptor type 2 Q63R variant and oligo/polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the functional variant Q63R of the cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptor is associated with susceptibility to oligo/poly-articular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and with its clinical features.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 171 Italian children with oligoarticular/rheumatoid factor negative poly-articular JIA and 600 healthy controls were enrolled in the study and genotyped.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference in genotype distribution of the CB2 Q63R variant (CNR2 rs35761398) between oligo/poly-articular JIA patients and controls was found (p = 0.001). The R63 variant was associated with increased rates of relapse (p = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that the CB2 receptor contributes to susceptibility to oligo/polyarticular JIA and to the severity of its clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples (SUN) , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grandone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alessio
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Gicchino
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maione
authors.forename: E Miraglia
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: del Giudice
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D001168:Arthritis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: C588309:CNR2 protein, human; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2