Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphisms in isolated polymyalgia rheumatica.
OBJECTIVE
In untreated polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), high levels of circulating soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) have been observed. To investigate the clinical implication of ICAM-1 polymorphisms in isolated PMR, we examined their potential influence in an unselected series of patients.


METHODS
We studied 72 patients with isolated PMR and 129 ethnically matched controls from Lugo, Spain. Patients and controls were genotyped for HLA-DRB1 and ICAM-1 polymorphism at codons 241 and 469 by molecular methods.


RESULTS
The distribution of alleles and genotypes for each ICAM-1 polymorphism did not show significant differences between patients with isolated PMR and controls. There were also no associations between ICAM-1 polymorphisms and relapses of the disease. The latter was primarily associated with carriage of an HLA-DRB1*0401 allele (OR 7.2, p = 0.01), although all relapsed patients with HLA-DRB1*0401 also carried the GG genotype of the ICAM-1 polymorphism at codon 241. The presence of both HLA-DRB1*0401 and the GG241 ICAM-1 genotype gave an OR of 15.2 (p = 0.005) after correction for age and sex.


CONCLUSIONS
Although ICAM-1 polymorphisms alone do not appear to be associated with disease severity in isolated PMR, the presence of both HLA-DRB1*0401 and the ICAM-1 codon 241 GG homozygosity was significantly associated with increased risk of relapses in these patients.
Amoli
Mahsa M
MM
ARC Epidemiology Unit, Manchester University Medical School, United Kingdom.
Shelley
Emma
E
Mattey
Derek L
DL
Garcia-Porrua
Carlos
C
Thomson
Wendy
W
Hajeer
Ali H
AH
Ollier
William E R
WE
Gonzalez-Gay
Miguel A
MA
D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000235:genetics*; D012008:Recurrence; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000235:genetics
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; C553505:HLA-DRB1*04:01 antigen; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1