title: HSP70 gene polymorphisms in ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: Despite the strength of the association of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with HLA-B27, other genetic elements could play a possible role in the pathophysiology of AS. Because of the localization, in the proximity of the HLA-B locus, and the involvement of heat shock proteins (HSP) in the immune response, we analyzed the influence of HSP70 gene polymorphism on the susceptibility to AS. HSP70-1, HSP70-2 and HSP70-hom genotypes were analyzed by PCR-RFLP in patients with AS and in healthy controls. The results obtained in the present study showed that there are not significant differences in the distribution of HSP70-hom genotypes, whereas significant differences in HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 genotypes between AS patients and random controls were found. However, when the distribution of these genotypes were compared in B*27-matched AS patients and controls, the differences disappeared. These data suggest that the polymorphism of HSP70 genes was not independently associated with AS, and that the differences in HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 genotypes among AS patients and controls appears to be due to the linkage disequilibrium between HSP70 alleles and HLA-B*27.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López Neyra, CSIC, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fraile
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nieto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matarán
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martín
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D005838:Genotype; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins