Review: Genetics and the Classification of Arthritis in Adults and Children.

Arthritis Rheumatol
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Current classification of primary inflammatory arthritis begins from the assumption that adults and children are different. No form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis bears the same name as an adult arthritis, a nomenclature gap with implications for both clinical care and research. Recent genetic data have raised questions regarding this adult/pediatric divide, revealing instead broad patterns that span the age spectrum. Combining these genetic patterns with demographic and clinical data, we propose that inflammatory arthritis can be segregated into 4 main clusters, largely irrespective of pediatric or adult onset: seropositive, seronegative (likely including a distinct group that usually begins in early childhood), spondyloarthritis, and systemic. Each of these broad clusters is internally heterogeneous, highlighting the need for further study to resolve etiologically discrete entities. Eliminating divisions based on arbitrary age cutoffs will enhance opportunities for collaboration between adult and pediatric rheumatologists, thereby helping to promote the understanding and treatment of arthritis.

Year of Publication
2018
Journal
Arthritis Rheumatol
Volume
70
Issue
1
Pages
7-17
Date Published
2018 01
ISSN
2326-5205
DOI
10.1002/art.40350
PubMed ID
29024575
PubMed Central ID
PMC5805142
Links
Grant list
P30 AR070253 / AR / NIAMS NIH HHS / United States
R01 AR065538 / AR / NIAMS NIH HHS / United States
U01 GM092691 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
P01 AR048929 / AR / NIAMS NIH HHS / United States
P30 AR070549 / AR / NIAMS NIH HHS / United States
R01 AR063759 / AR / NIAMS NIH HHS / United States
U01 HG009379 / HG / NHGRI NIH HHS / United States
UH2 AR067677 / AR / NIAMS NIH HHS / United States