The kaleidoscopic presentation of the spondyloarthritis concept in a female patient.

Spondyloarthritis is a group of chronic joint diseases that share clinical, pathological and genetic features and is divided into distinct diagnostic entities, including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease-associated spondyloarthritis, reactive arthritis, juvenile onset and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. Since the spectrum of spondyloarthritides is wider than the sum of aforementioned disorders suggests, the term "Spondyloarthritis concept" might prove to be appropriate. Here, we present a case in which many features of the spondyloarthritis concept, but also unexpected osteitis in the skull and tibia, emerge during the disease course.

European genetic study on rheumatoid arthritis: is there a linkage of the interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-10 or IL-4 genes to RA?

Unlabelled: The genetic predisposition for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is only partly explained by the HLA locus and most genetic factors involved in the susceptibility (and/or severity) of the disease await further identification. The first European genome scan in RA families provided suggestive evidence for linkage with a region (3.1/3q13) on chromosome 3, but many other potential RA susceptibility genes have yet to be analysed.

Noninherited maternal antigens do not increase the susceptibility for familial rheumatoid arthritis. European Consortium on Rheumatoid Arthritis Families (ECRAF).

Objective: It has been proposed that noninherited maternal HLA-DR antigens (NIMA) might play a role in the susceptibility for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This hypothesis has not been thoroughly tested in patients with familial RA, in whom genetic factors, either inherited or not, might have stronger influence than in patients with sporadic RA. We investigated the NIMA hypothesis in a large cohort of European patients with familial RA.

Clinical and immunogenetic characteristics of European multicase rheumatoid arthritis families.

Objective: To describe the characteristics of a new set of European families with affected sib pairs (ASP) collected by the European Consortium on Rheumatoid Arthritis Families (ECRAF) to replicate the results of our first genome scan. Potential gradients for disease severity in Europe and concordance within families were studied.

Patients And Methods: From 1996 to 1998 European white families with at least two affected siblings were enrolled in the study.

Noninherited maternal antigens do not play a role in rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility in Europe. European Consortium on Rheumatoid Arthritis Families.

Objective: It has been proposed that noninherited maternal antigens (NIMA) (HLA-DR antigens) might play a role in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially in patients who are not genetically predisposed, such as those who are HLA-DR4 and/or shared epitope (SE) negative. The present study was undertaken to test the NIMA hypothesis in a large cohort of European RA patients assembled by the European Consortium on RA Families (ECRAF).

Methods: HLA-DRB1 oligotyping was performed in families of European RA patients for whom both parents were alive.