Investigating Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy; Initial Cross Speciality Experience with Use of the Extended Myositis Antibody Panel.

The discovery of unique autoantibodies has informed and altered our approach to the diagnosis and management of the inflammatory myopathies. This study reports the initial clinical experience of use of the Extended Myositis Antibody (EMA) panel in the largest university teaching hospital in Ireland. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients who had serum samples tested for myositis specific antibodies and myositis associated antibodies from April 2014 to March 2015.

Dissection of class III major histocompatibility complex haplotypes associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: We have previously identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype involving the lymphotoxin alpha (LTA) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) loci (termed haplotype LTA-TNF2) on chromosome 6 that shows differential association with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on HLA-DRB1*0404 and *0401 haplotypes, suggesting the presence of additional non-HLA-DRB1 RA susceptibility genes on these haplotypes. To refine this association, we performed a case-control association study using both SNPs and microsatellite markers in haplotypes matched either for HLA-DRB1*0404 or for HLA-DRB1*0401.

Methods: Fourteen SNPs lying between HLA-DRB1 and LTA were genotyped in 87 DRB1*04-positive families.

Molecular genetics of rheumatoid arthritis.

Following the successful determination of the molecular genetics of single-gene disorders, attention has not surprisingly turned to complex genetic disorders. However, preliminary experience suggests that unravelling the genetic component of common inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus, might be a harder nut to crack.