Arthritis and Rheumatology
Arthritis and Rheumatology
5 years ago

Genetics and the classification of arthritis in adults and children

Susan D. Thompson, Soumya Raychaudhuri, Peter A. Nigrovic
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 question 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 segregates into four 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. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi

DOI: 10.1002/art.40350

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