Developing rheumatoid arthritis is not due to genes

In a study of twins in Denmark concordance for rheumatoid arthritis was no more common in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins, suggesting that genes are not an important factor in the development of the disease. In a population based nationwide twin study Svendsen and colleagues (p 264) identified 13 monozygotic and 36 dizygotic pairs of twins in which at least one twin had rheumatoid arthritis. No monozygotic pairs and two dizygotic pairs were concordant for rheumatoid arthritis.

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Relevant Article

Relative importance of genetic effects in rheumatoid arthritis: historical cohort study of Danish nationwide twin population • Commentary: Do genes or environment influence development of rheumatoid arthritis?

Anders J Svendsen, Niels V Holm, Kirsten Kyvik, Per Hyltoft Petersen, Peter Junker, and Alan J Silman
BMJ 2002 324: 264. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]