Lack of association of T cell receptor V beta 8 polymorphism with rheumatoid arthritis in United Kingdom and Italian white patients.
OBJECTIVE
To study if the reported association of a BamH I 2kb RFLP of the T cell receptor V beta 8 gene with DR4+ rheumatoid arthritis patients is found in non-American white populations.


METHODS
The frequency of this RFLP in two different populations was analysed. Eighty one northern Italians were studied for HLA-DR genotypes and V beta 8 polymorphism, and 29 DR4+ British white patients were studied for V beta 8 polymorphism.


RESULTS
No association between the V beta 8 RFLP and DR4 was found with rheumatoid arthritis in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The reported V beta 8-DR4 association is not generally applicable. The lack of association in our populations may be due to genetic differences, or to differences in factors which shaped the T cell repertoire.
Lunardi
C
C
Rheumatology Unit, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
Ibberson
M
M
Zeminian
S
S
De Sandre
G
G
So
A K
AK
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D006113:United Kingdom
D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta