Variants in the Late Cornified Envelope Gene Locus Are Associated With Elevated T-helper 17 Responses in Patients With Postinfectious Lyme Arthritis.

Variation in the LCE3 locus, a known genetic risk factor in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, is associated with dysregulated systemic Th17 immunity and heightened autoantibody responses in joints. These findings underscore the importance of host genetic predisposition and systemic Th17 immunity in the pathogenesis of postinfectious (antibiotic-refractory) Lyme arthritis.