Genetic epidemiology as a tool for investigating rheumatic disease.

Both genetic and environmental factors are likely to contribute to the etiology of the rheumatic diseases. The relative contribution of genes and environment to the observed variability in prevalence and expression of rheumatic disease in different populations can only be assessed by procedures designed to identify both genetic and environmental influences. By applying the new discipline of genetic epidemiology to study familial aggregation, association with genetic markers, segregation, and linkage analysis, our understanding of rheumatic disease is likely to be substantially advanced during the next decade.