title: Immunogenetics of polymyalgia rheumatica.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, UMDS, Guy's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Sakkas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loqueman
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Panayi
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Myles
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Welsh
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell