The SKG mouse develops arthritis as a consequence of having a reduction in functional ZAP70 protein, and given that ZAP70 is both a direct target of PTPN22 and a target of the Src-family kinase, Lck, whose activity is regulated by PTPN22, we anticipated that the combined mutations might exacerbate development of disease. This evidence concerns the gene PTPN22 and Arthritis.