Gene expression in juvenile spondyloarthritis

Association of juvenile spondyloarthritis (jSpA) with the HLA-B27 genotype is well established, but there is little knowledge of other genetic factors with a role in disease development. The aim of the present study was to identify and confirm gene signatures and novel biomarkers in various cohorts of untreated and treated patients diagnosed with jSpA and other forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). DNA microarray gene expression was performed in 11 patients with jSpA and in four healthy controls, along with bioinformatics analysis of retrieved data (DAVID, GSEA, IPA). Total RNA was isolated from whole blood of 45 children with known HLA genotype and diagnosis of jSpA according to ILAR criteria, 11 children with oligo- and polyarticular forms of JIA, as well as 12 age and sex matched control participants without diagnosis of chronic inflammatory disease. Of those 11 patient and 4 controls were utilized in the microarrays experiments, while the rest were used in the follow-up qPCR analyses