Immunogenetics of polymyalgia rheumatica.
Evidence suggests that polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) may be an immune-mediated disease. Therefore, the role of HLA class II genes, the switch region of immunoglobin mu and alpha 1 heavy chain as the T-cell receptor (TcR) genes were investigated by Southern blot analysis. The frequency of DR4 specificity was increased in PMR (67.4% versus 30.3%; P = 0.00017). No association was found with the DQA and DQB genes, the switch region of immunoglobulin mu and alpha 1 heavy chain genes, and the TcR alpha, beta and gamma genes. This study suggests that HLA-DR4 is an important susceptibility factor for PMR. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of Ig and TcR genes.
Sakkas
L I
LI
Division of Medicine, UMDS, Guy's Hospital, London.
Loqueman
N
N
Panayi
G S
GS
Myles
A B
AB
Welsh
K I
KI
D000483:Alleles; D005796:Genes; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007125:Immunogenetics; D007134:Immunoglobulin Switch Region; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics
D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell