CTLA-4 gene polymorphism in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether CTLA-4 gene confers susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japanese.


METHODS
We investigated the distribution of a CTLA-4 gene polymorphism in 85 Japanese patients with RA and 200 controls. An A/G transition at position 49 of exon 1 was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The patients were also analyzed with respect to HLA-DR status. HLA-DR typing was performed by PCR sequence-specific oligonucleotide typing.


RESULTS
The distribution of genotype frequencies differed between RA and controls (chi-squared 8.63, 2 df, p = 0.013). The CTLA-4 AG genotype occurred more frequently in patients with RA (59 vs 44%), and the presence of at least one G allele (GG or AG) conferred an odds ratio of 2.53 (95% CI 1.74-3.32). When the patients were analyzed with respect to HLA-DR status, this association was restricted to patients carrying the susceptible HLA allele (HLA-DRB1*0405).


CONCLUSIONS
The CTLA-4 gene is associated with Japanese patients with RA carrying the susceptible HLA allele.
Yanagawa
T
T
Department of Medicine, Nerima General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. VZA07472@nifty.ne.jp
Gomi
K
K
Nakao
E I
EI
Inada
S
S
D000069594:Abatacept; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D000069594:Abatacept