Genetics and rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility in Iran

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder with a number of risk factors, including both genetic and environmental. A number of RA risk associated genomic loci has been identified. In this review, we summarize the association of genetic factors with RA reported in population studies in Iran. No significant association was found between the majority of genetic factors identified in other populations and risk for RA in the Iranian subjects. This conflicting result could be due to the ethnic differences and diversity that are present in Iran. We conclude that there is a need to investigate larger groups of Iranian subjects, encompassing different regions of Iran, to either prove or refute these initial findings.