Updates and perspectives on the genetic markers in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

The research was carried out on a representative group of patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We studied the distribution of patients by sex, age group, and disease stage, and we also tried to identify a genetic marker. In this sense, the blood groups of all RA patients were determined. In the study group, the frequency of patients with blood group B was much increased (47%), compared to the frequency of patients with blood group B in the control group (12%). Calculating the relative risk Rr for the disease, of the patients with blood group B, we found that it was 6.5, which indicated a positive association between RA and the blood group B marker. As a result, individuals belonging to blood group B are much more susceptible to RA compared to those who belong to other blood groups. Another genetic aspect of the research was the familial genetic study of RA. Using the family investigation as a method of investigation, we found that the incidence of family cases of RA in the studied group was 13%. RA, being a condition with the polygenic hereditary transmission, it is difficult to calculate the risk of recurrence, however, we found that, in affected families, the genes with "risk" for RA are much more frequent than in families where they were not observed, in the direct or collateral ancestry, other subjects diagnosed with RA. These observations are of particular importance in the prophylaxis of this condition.