Shedding Light on the Role of ERAP1 in Axial Spondyloarthritis

Mohamed A Saad; Amal B Abdul-Sattar; Ibrahim T Abdelal; Ahmed Baraka

doi:10.7759/cureus.48806

Shedding Light on the Role of ERAP1 in Axial Spondyloarthritis

Cureus. 2023 Nov 14;15(11):e48806. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48806. eCollection 2023 Nov.

Authors

Mohamed A Saad¹, Amal B Abdul-Sattar², Ibrahim T Abdelal², Ahmed Baraka³

Affiliations

¹ Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) Hospital, Kuwait, KWT.
² Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, EGY.
³ Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, EGY.

Abstract

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease affecting the axial skeleton (axSpA) and/or peripheral joints (p-SpA) and entheses. The disease's pathogenesis depends on genetic, immunological, mechanical, and environmental factors. Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) is a multifunctional enzyme that shapes the peptide repertoire presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ERAP1 that are associated with several autoimmune diseases, including axSpA. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the ERAP1 role in axSpA could make it a potential therapeutic target for this disease and offer greater insight into its impact on the immune system. Here, we review the biological functions and structure of ERAP1, discuss ERAP1 polymorphisms and their association with axSpA, highlight the interaction between ERAP1 and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27, and review the association between ERAP1 SNPs and axSpA clinical parameters.

Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis; axial spondyloarthritis; disease activity; erap1 gene; genetics; hla-b27; single nucleotide polymorphism.

Publication types

Review