Hidradenitis suppurativa associated with spondyloarthritis -- results from a multicenter national prospective study.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and characterize the inflammatory musculoskeletal symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory disease of skin appendages.

Methods: Patients with HS referred to 3 dermatology university hospital centers were systematically screened for peripheral arthritis, dactylitis, inflammatory back pain, or enthesitis. After careful clinical examination, patients were further classified according to clinical and imaging criteria for spondyloarthritis (SpA) using the Amor, European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG), and ASsessment in ankylosing spondylitis (ASAS).

Association of IL-2RA and IL-2RB genes with erosive status in early rheumatoid arthritis patients (ESPOIR and RMP cohorts).

Objectives: To assess the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-2RA (rs2104286) and IL-2RB (rs743777 and rs3218253) genes on the risk of erosions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: This work is derived from 2 prospective cohorts of early RA: ESPOIR (n = 439) and RMP (n = 180). The proportions of patients with erosions at baseline and 1 year according to the genotypes of IL2RA (rs2104286) or the haplotypes constructed with the 2 SNPs of IL2RB were compared in the whole population and in ACPA positive patients.

Association study of B-cell marker gene polymorphisms in European Caucasian patients with systemic sclerosis.

Background: BANK1 and BLK B-cell genetic markers have been reproducibly and convincingly found to contribute to susceptibility to systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Objectives: To determine whether other B-cell genetic markers including CD19, CD20, CD22 and CD24 polymorphisms affect susceptibility to SSc in the European Caucasian population.

Methods: A case-control study was performed in 900 patients with SSc and 1034 healthy controls.

PTPN22 R620W genotype-phenotype correlation analysis and gene-environment interaction study in early rheumatoid arthritis: results from the ESPOIR cohort.

Objectives: To investigate genotype-phenotype correlation and gene-environment interaction between PTPN22 R620W environmental factors such as tobacco/hormonal treatments in an inception cohort of RA patients.

Methods: An intra-cohort study including 532 Caucasian RA patients genotyped for the PTPN22 rs2476601 polymorphism was performed. Anti-CCP and RF status at baseline, presence of bone erosions at 1 year, HLADR1 and/or DR4 status, demography, comorbidities, exposure to tobacco with the cumulative dose in pack-years, hormonal treatments and treatments received for RA were collected.

High levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies are associated with co-occurrence of pulmonary diseases with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To investigate whether levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP2) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with the co-occurrence of lung diseases.

Methods: A total of 252 RA patients were included in a cross-sectional study. Pulmonary disease was confirmed by high-resolution chest computed tomography scan.

The interferon regulatory factor 5 gene confers susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis and influences its erosive phenotype.

Background: Increased expression of type I IFN genes, also referred to as an IFN signature, has been detected in various autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Interferon regulatory factors, such as IRF5, coordinate type I IFN expression. Multiple IRF5 variants were suggested as autoimmunity susceptibility factors.

Phenotype-haplotype correlation of IRF5 in systemic sclerosis: role of 2 haplotypes in disease severity.

Objective: Identification of an association between IRF5 rs2004640 and systemic sclerosis (SSc) has highlighted a key role for type 1 interferon (IFN). Additional functional IRF5 variants have been identified as autoimmune susceptibility factors. Our aim was to investigate whether IRF5 haplotypes confer susceptibility to SSc, and to perform genotype haplotype-phenotype correlation analyses.

Unexplained polyarthralgia and celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an immunological disorder whose best-known manifestations are gastrointestinal symptoms. However, early joint manifestations are common and frequently overlooked features of celiac disease. We report a case in which unexplained inflammatory polyarthralgia and iron-deficiency anemia led to the diagnosis of celiac disease.