HLA class II genes associated with anticentromere antibody in Japanese patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).
OBJECTIVE
To define further HLA class II gene associations with anticentromere antibody (ACA), a major serum antinuclear antibody in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).


METHODS
HLA class II genes were determined using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphisms in 94 Japanese patients with SSc (22 ACA positive and 72 ACA negative) and 50 race matched normal control subjects.


RESULTS
Frequency of DQB1*0501 was increased in ACA positive SSc patients compared with ACA negative SSc patients (36% versus 13%; p = 0.02, odds ratio = 4.0, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 13.9), but the association of ACA with a polar amino acid at position 26 in the DQB1 beta 1 domain, which was demonstrated in white North Americans, was not observed in Japanese. The DRB1*0101, *0405, and *1302 alleles were associated with high ACA titres, whereas DRB1*1502 was associated with low ACA titres and a low frequency of centromere protein C (CENP-C) reactivity.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the ACA response is associated with multiple HLA class II genes and that ACA positive SSc patients are heterogeneous in terms of immunogenetic background.
Kuwana
M
M
Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Okano
Y
Y
Kaburaki
J
J
Inoko
H
H
D000483:Alleles; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000235:genetics*; D002503:Centromere / Q000276:immunology*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains