Discovery of new candidate genes for rheumatoid arthritis through integration of genetic association data with expression pathway analysis

Background Here we integrate verified signals from previous genetic association studies with gene expression and pathway analysis for discovery of new candidate genes and signaling networks, relevant for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method RNA-sequencing-(RNA-seq)-based expression analysis of 377 genes from previously verified RA-associated loci was performed in blood cells from 5 newly diagnosed, non-treated patients with RA, 7 patients with treated RA and 12 healthy controls. Differentially expressed genes sharing a similar expression pattern in treated and untreated RA sub-groups were selecte... Mehr ...