X-inactivation in rheumatoid arthritis and impact on sex-specific disease risks

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects women three times more often than men, and disruptions in X‑inactivation — the process by which females silence one X chromosome — may help explain this difference. Because up to 25% of genes can escape inactivation, especially in immune cells, flaws in this mechanism have been linked to autoimmune diseases.
This project uses CARTaGENE data to study whether unusual X‑inactivation patterns are associated with early markers of RA risk. The team will analyze DNA methylation data from a previous study on anti‑citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), a strong predictor of RA, while developing new statistical methods to estimate X‑inactivation from methylation profiles.
Findings will be validated using follow‑up health data and additional lab analyses. This research aims to clarify why women are disproportionately affected by RA and to identify new indicators of disease risk.

• Chronic diseases
• Methodology and biostatistics
• Public health and epidemiology

• Biochemical and hematological data
• Biological samples
• Genetic data
• Linked data
• Questionnaire data