The role of T cell receptor beta chain genes in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of the T cell receptor beta chain locus (TCRB) in genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Twenty-eight multiplex RA families were recruited from 3 rheumatology outpatient departments. All members were genotyped for a highly informative microsatellite (V beta 6.7), a V beta 12.2 SSCP marker, and a biallelic C beta restriction fragment length polymorphism. Data were analyzed by the SIBPAL program to assess identity-by-descent in affected sib-pairs.


RESULTS
Using the V beta 12.2 marker, there was suggestive evidence of increased sib-pair sharing (P = 0.005) in affected offspring (a P value of 0.001 is generally taken to establish linkage). Data for V beta 6.7 and C beta yielded significance levels of 0.06 and 0.19, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that a gene in or linked to the TCRB complex may confer genetic susceptibility to RA in these families. Confirmation in a larger panel of families is required.
McDermott
M
M
Arthritis and Rheumatism Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland.
Kastner
D L
DL
Holloman
J D
JD
Schmidt-Wolf
G
G
Lundberg
A S
AS
Sinha
A A
AA
Hsu
C
C
Cashin
P
P
Molloy
M G
MG
Mulcahy
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*
D005819:Genetic Markers; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta