title: Association of the complement allele C4AQ0 with primary Sjögren's syndrome in Japanese patients.
abstract: We studied allotypes of the fourth component of complement (C4) and factor B in 76 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and in 63 normal subjects. C4A-null (C4AQ0) was found in 10 of 28 patients who had primary SS, compared with 1 of 63 control subjects (P less than 0.005). In contrast, no significant difference in the frequency of any C4 allotype was observed between patients with secondary SS and control subjects. An association of HLA-DRw53 with primary SS in Japanese patients has been reported. Since there is no linkage disequilibrium between DRw53 and C4AQ0, it is possible that at least 2 genes in the major histocompatibility complex may determine susceptibility to the development of primary SS in the Japanese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moriuchi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takaya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wakisaka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dawkins
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arimori
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000208:ethnology*; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000235:genetics*; D011415:Complement Factor B / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan; D010641:Phenotype; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology*
chemical_list: D003181:Complement C4; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D011415:Complement Factor B