Lack of association between intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphisms and giant cell arteritis.
OBJECTIVE
Studies have shown an association between HLA-DRB1*04 and giant cell arteritis (GCA). Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) gene polymorphisms were reported to contribute susceptibility to GCA in Italian patients where susceptibility to GCA is not associated with HLA-DRB1*04 alleles. ICAM-1 is also highly expressed within inflammatory infiltrates of the blood vessels of GCA patients. To investigate the clinical implications of ICAM-1 polymorphisms in GCA, we examined their potential association and influence in the development of visual ischemic complications in a series of patients with GCA from Northwest Spain where GCA susceptibility is associated with HLA-DRB1*04.


METHODS
Fifty-eight biopsy proven GCA and 129 ethnically matched controls were studied. Patients and controls were genotyped for ICAM-1 polymorphism at codons 241 and 469 by PCR-RFLP.


RESULTS
The distribution of the alleles and genotypes for each ICAM- polymorphism did not show significant differences between GCA patients and controls. Although visual manifestations were significantly more likely to occur in men than women (OR 5.2, p = 0.018), allele and genotype frequencies of ICAM-1 polymorphisms in patients with GCA were not associated with development of visual complications or anemia. Visual complications in GCA were primarily associated with carriage of an HLA-DRB1*04 allele. No evidence was found for interaction between HLA-DRB1*04 and ICAM-1 polymorphism.


CONCLUSIONS
ICAM-1 polymorphisms are not genetic risk factors for the susceptibility and severity of GCA in Northwest Spain.
Amoli
M M
MM
ARC Epidemiology Unit, Manchester University Medical School, UK.
Shelley
E
E
Mattey
D L
DL
Garcia-Porrua
C
C
Thomson
W
W
Hajeer
A H
AH
Ollier
W E
WE
Gonzalez-Gay
M A
MA
D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000235:genetics
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1