Positional identification of Ncf1 as a gene that regulates arthritis severity in rats.
The identification of genes underlying quantitative-trait loci (QTL) for complex diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, is a challenging and difficult task for the human genome project. Through positional cloning of the Pia4 QTL in rats, we found that a naturally occurring polymorphism of Ncf1 (encoding neutrophil cytosolic factor 1, a component of the NADPH oxidase complex) regulates arthritis s