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BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life of adults with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), fibrous dysplasia (FD) and X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) remains poorly described. The aim of this study was to describe the HRQoL of adults with osteogenesis imperfecta, fibrous dysplasia and X-linked hypophophataemia and perform a cost-utility simulation to calculate the maximum cost that a health care system would be willing to pay for a hypothetical treatment of a rare bone disease. RESULTS: Participants completed the EQ-5D-5 L questionnaire between September 2014 and March 2016. For the economic simulation, we considered a hypothetical treatment that would be applied to OI participants in the lower tertile of the health utility score. A total of 109 study participants fully completed the EQ-5D-5 L questionnaire (response rate 63%). Pain/discomfort was the most problematic domain for participants with all three diseases (FD 31%, XLH 25%, OI 16%). The economic simulation identified an expected treatment impact of +2.5 QALYs gained per person during the 10-year period, which led to a willing to pay of £14,355 annually for a health care system willing to pay up to £50,000 for each additional QALY gained by an intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to quantitatively measure and compare the HRQoL of adults with OI, FD and XLH and the first to use such data to conduct an economic simulation leading to healthcare system willingness-to-pay estimates for treatment of musculoskeletal rare diseases at various cost-effectiveness thresholds.

Contains fulltext : 98409.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access), OBJECTIVE: Recently, a functional PTPN22 variant (R263Q; rs33996649) was found to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study was undertaken to analyze the influence of this polymorphism on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: RA patients (n = 5,579) were recruited from outpatient clinics from 6 different countries (Spain, New Zealand, the UK, Norway, The Netherlands, and Germany). Healthy controls (n = 5,392) were recruited from the same areas. There was 100% power to detect an effect equivalent to that observed in SLE. Samples were genotyped for the PTPN22 R263Q (rs33996649) and PTPN22 R620W (rs2476601) polymorphisms using a TaqMan 5'-allele discrimination assay. The effect of the R263Q variant was analyzed in isolation and in combination with the effect of R620W, using Unphased and Stata 10 software. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were determined. RESULTS: The minor allele A of PTPN22 R263Q was significantly associated with a lower risk of RA in the pooled analysis of the 6 populations (P = 0.016, Mantel-Haenszel pooled OR 0.80 [95% CI 0.67-0.96]), independent of the effect of the R620W polymorphism. Both polymorphisms had an additive effect. The more RA risk alleles carried (R263Q G allele, R620W T allele), the higher the RA risk (for 2 versus 1 risk allele P = 0.014, OR 1.28 [95% CI 1.05-1.55], for 3 versus 1 risk allele P = 6.67 x 10(-11) , OR 2.01 [1.63-2.48], and for 4 versus 1 risk allele P = 6.50 x 10(-11) , OR 3.55 [2.42-5.20]). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the minor allele of the PTPN22 R263Q polymorphism is associated with a lower risk of RA. This association is independent of the well-established association between PTPN22 R620W and RA. Both polymorphisms have an additive effect on the risk of RA.

Contains fulltext : 98409.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access), OBJECTIVE: Recently, a functional PTPN22 variant (R263Q; rs33996649) was found to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study was undertaken to analyze the influence of this polymorphism on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: RA patients (n = 5,579) were recruited from outpatient clinics from 6 different countries (Spain, New Zealand, the UK, Norway, The Netherlands, and Germany). Healthy controls (n = 5,392) were recruited from the same areas. There was 100% power to detect an effect equivalent to that observed in SLE. Samples were genotyped for the PTPN22 R263Q (rs33996649) and PTPN22 R620W (rs2476601) polymorphisms using a TaqMan 5'-allele discrimination assay. The effect of the R263Q variant was analyzed in isolation and in combination with the effect of R620W, using Unphased and Stata 10 software. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were determined. RESULTS: The minor allele A of PTPN22 R263Q was significantly associated with a lower risk of RA in the pooled analysis of the 6 populations (P = 0.016, Mantel-Haenszel pooled OR 0.80 [95% CI 0.67-0.96]), independent of the effect of the R620W polymorphism. Both polymorphisms had an additive effect. The more RA risk alleles carried (R263Q G allele, R620W T allele), the higher the RA risk (for 2 versus 1 risk allele P = 0.014, OR 1.28 [95% CI 1.05-1.55], for 3 versus 1 risk allele P = 6.67 x 10(-11) , OR 2.01 [1.63-2.48], and for 4 versus 1 risk allele P = 6.50 x 10(-11) , OR 3.55 [2.42-5.20]). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the minor allele of the PTPN22 R263Q polymorphism is associated with a lower risk of RA. This association is independent of the well-established association between PTPN22 R620W and RA. Both polymorphisms have an additive effect on the risk of RA.

Contains fulltext : 98409.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access), OBJECTIVE: Recently, a functional PTPN22 variant (R263Q; rs33996649) was found to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study was undertaken to analyze the influence of this polymorphism on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: RA patients (n = 5,579) were recruited from outpatient clinics from 6 different countries (Spain, New Zealand, the UK, Norway, The Netherlands, and Germany). Healthy controls (n = 5,392) were recruited from the same areas. There was 100% power to detect an effect equivalent to that observed in SLE. Samples were genotyped for the PTPN22 R263Q (rs33996649) and PTPN22 R620W (rs2476601) polymorphisms using a TaqMan 5'-allele discrimination assay. The effect of the R263Q variant was analyzed in isolation and in combination with the effect of R620W, using Unphased and Stata 10 software. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were determined. RESULTS: The minor allele A of PTPN22 R263Q was significantly associated with a lower risk of RA in the pooled analysis of the 6 populations (P = 0.016, Mantel-Haenszel pooled OR 0.80 [95% CI 0.67-0.96]), independent of the effect of the R620W polymorphism. Both polymorphisms had an additive effect. The more RA risk alleles carried (R263Q G allele, R620W T allele), the higher the RA risk (for 2 versus 1 risk allele P = 0.014, OR 1.28 [95% CI 1.05-1.55], for 3 versus 1 risk allele P = 6.67 x 10(-11) , OR 2.01 [1.63-2.48], and for 4 versus 1 risk allele P = 6.50 x 10(-11) , OR 3.55 [2.42-5.20]). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the minor allele of the PTPN22 R263Q polymorphism is associated with a lower risk of RA. This association is independent of the well-established association between PTPN22 R620W and RA. Both polymorphisms have an additive effect on the risk of RA.

BACKGROUND: Craniofacial abnormalities and increased pharyngeal collapsibility due to abnormal connective tissue suggest the possibility of an increased prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in patients with Marfan's syndrome but the actual prevalence is uncertain. Aortic dilatation and dissection are life threatening manifestations of Marfan's syndrome and case reports have suggested a possible association with OSA but data from cohort studies are not available. METHODS: A sleep study was performed in 61 patients with Ghent criteria positive Marfan's syndrome (mean age 38.3 (SD 12.9) years; 37 females) and in 26 control subjects matched for age, gender, height and weight. OSA was defined using two conventional levels of apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI), >5 and >15/h. In patients with Marfan's syndrome, aortic root diameter was measured by echocardiography. RESULTS: More patients with Marfan's syndrome than controls had OSA (AHI >5, 32.8% compared with 11.5%, mean difference +21.3%, 95% CI 4.2% to 38.3%, p = 0.04; AHI >15, 18.0% compared with 0%, mean difference +18.0%, 95% CI 8.4% to 27.7%, p = 0.02). AHI was correlated with aortic root diameter (r = 0.50, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.69, p = 0.0003), and mean aortic root diameter was significantly greater in patients with OSA (4.5 (SD 0.6) cm) compared with those without OSA (3.7 (0.6) cm) (mean difference 0.8 cm, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.2 cm, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with Marfan's syndrome, the prevalence of OSA is considerably higher than in matched control subjects. OSA may be a risk factor for aortic root dilatation in Marfan's syndrome.

Objective. To undertake a systematic wholegenome screen to identify regions exhibiting genetic linkage to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Two hundred fifty-two RA-affected sibling pairs from 182 UK families were genotyped using 365 highly informative microsatellite markers. Microsatellite genotyping was performed using fluorescent polymerase chain reaction primers and semiautomated DNA sequencing technology. Linkage analysis was undertaken using MAPMAKER/SIBS for single-point and multipoint analysis. Results. Significant linkage (maximum logarithm of odds score 4.7 [P = 0.000003] at marker D6S276, 1 cM from HLA-DRB1) was identified around the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region on chromosome 6. Suggestive linkage (P < 7.4 × 10-4) was identified on chromosome 6q by single- and multipoint analysis. Ten other sites of nominal linkage (P < 0.05) were identified on chromosomes 3p, 4q, 7p, 2 regions of 10q, 2 regions of 14q, 16p, 21q, and Xq by single-point analysis and on 3 sites (1q, 14q, and 14q) by multipoint analysis. Conclusion. Linkage to the MHC region was confirmed. Eleven non-HLA regions demonstrated evidence of suggestive or nominal linkage, but none reached the genome-wide threshold for significant linkage (P = 2.2 × 10-5). Results of previous genome screens have suggested that 6 of these regions may be involved in RA susceptibility.

The objective of this study was to investigate TNF promoter region polymorphisms for association with susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The TNF -238 and -308 polymorphisms were genotyped in 306 English AS cases and 204 ethnically matched healthy B27-positive controls, and 96 southern German AS cases, 58 B27-positive and 251 B27-negative ethnically matched controls. Additionally, the TNF -376 polymorphism was genotyped in the southern German cases and controls. In the southern German AS patients a significant reduction in TNF -308.2 alleles was seen, compared with B27 positive controls (odds ratio 0.4, P= 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.2-0.9), but no difference in allele frequencies was observed at TNF -238. Significant association between AS and both TNF -238 and TNF -308 was excluded in the English cases. These results confirm previous observations in the southern German population of association between TNF promoter region polymorphisms and AS, but the lack of association in the English population suggests that these polymorphisms themselves are unlikely to be directly involved. More likely, a second, non-HLA-B, MHC locus is involved in susceptibility to AS in these two populations.

Objective. To assess the genetic association between secretor status and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods. A restriction digest method for determining secretor status was developed; 166 patients with AS and 216 healthy British white controls were typed for secretor status using this method. Results. The frequency of nonsecretors among patients with AS (47/166, 28%) was not significantly different from controls (72/216, 33%). Conclusion. Secretor status does not influence susceptibility to AS.

Predisposition to ankylosing spondylitis is largely genetic, and epidemiologic studies suggest that the environmental trigger is ubiquitous. HLA-B27 and -B60 predispose to ankylosing spondylitis, but in neither case is the mechanism of effect known. Other major histocompatibility complex and non-major histocompatibility complex genes are likely to influence susceptibility to spondyloarthritis as well as the disease pattern. Spondyloarthritis occurs in genetically predisposed inviduals exposed to certain as yet undefined environmental triggers. Although genes within the major histocompatibility complex are clearly major determinants of susceptibility to spondyloarthritis, epidemiologic evidence suggests that their contribution accounts for less than 50% of the total. The mechanism of association of B27 with these diseases is unknown; we are currently unable to predict which E27 carriers will develop arthritis or which form of BP27-associated spondyloarthritis they will develop. Lessons from transgenic animal experiments and technical and statistical advances in the field of genetics have greatly increased our ability to investigate these questions.

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Elevated blood pressure is a common, heritable cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide. To date, identification of common genetic variants influencing blood pressure has proven challenging. We tested 2.5 million genotyped and imputed SNPs for association with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in 34,433 subjects of European ancestry from the Global BPgen consortium and followed up findings with direct genotyping (N ≤ 71,225 European ancestry, N ≤ 12,889 Indian Asian ancestry) and in silico comparison (CHARGE consortium, N = 29,136). We identified association between systolic or diastolic blood pressure and common variants in eight regions near the CYP17A1 (P = 7 × 10−24), CYP1A2 (P = 1 × 10−23), FGF5 (P = 1 × 10−21), SH2B3 (P = 3 × 10−18), MTHFR (P = 2 × 10−13), c10orf107 (P = 1 × 10−9), ZNF652 (P = 5 × 10−9) and PLCD3 (P = 1 × 10−8) genes. All variants associated with continuous blood pressure were associated with dichotomous hypertension. These associations between common variants and blood pressure and hypertension offer mechanistic insights into the regulation of blood pressure and may point to novel targets for interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease.