New study finds genomic risk factors for juvenile arthritis

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is a potentially life-threatening childhood disease, characterized by persistent joint swelling, pain and stiffness. Now, NHGRI Scientific Director Daniel Kastner, M.D., Ph.D., and his fellow investigators and colleagues have identified genomic variants that confer at least a two-fold increased risk of sJIA, suggesting a role for certain immune system genes in disease development. The results appeared in the Nov. 23, Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Source: NHGRI Homepage Highlights - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: news