Quantitative analyses of messenger RNA of human endogenous retrovirus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) has emerged as a possible causative agent of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the role of HERV in the etiology of SLE, we performed quantitative analyses of messenger RNA (mRNA) of the HERV clone 4-1 in patients with SLE.


METHODS
Reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR; TaqMan methodology) were used in this experiment.


RESULTS
The quantities of mRNA of the HERV clone 4-1 gag region in patients with SLE were significantly higher than in healthy controls, and the amounts of such mRNA in the patients were decreased by steroid treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
These phenomena may be related to the production of viral components derived from HERV clone 4-1 and contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE; studies using a larger number of patients are required to confirm these points.
Ogasawara
H
H
Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Naito
T
T
Kaneko
H
H
Hishikawa
T
T
Sekigawa
I
I
Hashimoto
H
H
Kaneko
Y
Y
Yamamoto
N
N
Maruyama
N
N
Yamamoto
N
N
D000328:Adult; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019914:Taq Polymerase
D015683:Gene Products, gag; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D019914:Taq Polymerase