Authors
R Knevel, A Krabben, AG Wilson, E Brouwer, MK Leijsma, Elisabet Lindqvist, DPC de Rooy, NA Daha, MPM van der Linden, S Tsonaka, A Zhernakova, H‐J Westra, L Franke, JJ Houwing‐Duistermaat, REM Toes, TWJ Huizinga, Tore Saxne, AHM van der Helm‐van Mil
Publication date
2013/3
Journal
Arthritis & Rheumatism
Volume
65
Issue
3
Pages
582-589
Publisher
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
Description
Objective
Genetic factors account for an estimated 45–58% of the variance in joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The serine proteinase granzyme B induces target cell apoptosis, and several in vitro studies suggest that granzyme B is involved in apoptosis of chondrocytes. Serum levels of granzyme B are increased in RA and are also associated with radiographic erosions. The aim of this study was to investigate GZMB as a candidate gene accounting for the severity of joint destruction in RA.
Methods
A total of 1,418 patients with 4,885 radiograph sets of the hands and feet from 4 independent cohorts were studied. First, explorative analyses were performed in 600 RA patients in the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic cohort. Fifteen single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging GZMB were tested. Significantly associated SNPs were genotyped in data sets representing patients from the Groningen, Sheffield …
Scholar articles
R Knevel, A Krabben, AG Wilson, E Brouwer… - Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2013