Genetic factors in psoriatic arthritis

The genetic factors that are associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are intricately linked with those that predispose to psoriasis itself. The strongest association is with human leukocyte antigen-Cw*0602, although true susceptibility may lie with one of the neighboring genes along a disease-associated haplotype. There are a number of interesting candidate genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region with strong functional relevance that have been investigated in PsA. In addition, several areas outside the MHC complex have been highlighted as a result of genetic linkage studies in psoriasis. PsA is a complex, multifactorial disease where multiple genes are likely to influence disease susceptibility, severity, and clinical phenotype. The current evidence for genetic factors in psoriasis and PsA will be reviewed.