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.
Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
M
M
Kuwana
Y
Y
Okano
J
J
Kaburaki
H
H
Inoko
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