About the Authors

Aya Kawasaki

Affiliation Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Hiroshi Furukawa

Affiliation Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, Sagamihara Hospital, National Hospital Organization, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

Nao Nishida

Affiliation Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan

Eiji Warabi

Affiliation Environmental Molecular Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Yuya Kondo

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Satoshi Ito

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology, Niigata Rheumatic Center, Shibata, Niigata, Japan

Isao Matsumoto

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Makio Kusaoi

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Hirofumi Amano

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Akiko Suda

Affiliations Department of Rheumatology, Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Shouhei Nagaoka

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology, Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Keigo Setoguchi

Affiliation Allergy and Immunological Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

Tatsuo Nagai

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

Shunsei Hirohata

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

Kota Shimada

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Medical Center, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

Shoji Sugii

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Medical Center, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

Akira Okamoto

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology, Himeji Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan

Noriyuki Chiba

Affiliation Department of Rheumatology, Morioka Hospital, National Hospital Organization, Morioka, Iwate, Japan

Eiichi Suematsu

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Clinical Research Institute, Kyushu Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Fukuoka, Japan

Shigeru Ohno

Affiliation Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Masao Katayama

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya Medical Center, National Hospital Organization, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

Akiko Okamoto

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Hajime Kono

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Katsushi Tokunaga

Affiliation Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Yoshinari Takasaki

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Hiroshi Hashimoto

Affiliation Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Takayuki Sumida

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Shigeto Tohma

Affiliation Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, Sagamihara Hospital, National Hospital Organization, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

Naoyuki Tsuchiya

tsuchiya-tky@umin.net

Affiliation Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: AK NT. Performed the experiments: AK NN EW. Analyzed the data: AK HF NN EW NT. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: HF NN EW YK SI IM M. Kusaoi HA AS SN K. Setoguchi TN SH K. Shimada SS Akira Okamoto NC ES SO M. Katayama Akiko Okamoto HK KT YT HH TS ST. Contributed to the writing of the manuscript: AK NT.