Association analysis of genotypic frequencies of matrilin-1 gene in patients with osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
It has been suggested that genotypic variation in the gene which encodes the matrilin-1 (MATN-1) protein may be involved in the development of hip osteoarthritis (OA). We compared genotype frequencies of the MATN-1 gene (1p35) in patients with OA and controls to determine if there is any association between the MATN-1 genotype and OA.


METHODS
73 OA patients and 53 controls from a rheumatology ambulatory center and a university hospital were studied. They were unrelated subjects. Controls were free of clinical OA. OA was defined according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. The MATN-1 microsatellite in the 3'untranslated region was amplified by PCR. The size of the amplification products was determined by capilar electrophoresis in a DNA Genetic Analizer Genotypic distribution was compared by the chi2 test.


RESULTS
We identified 4 alleles according to their basepair (bp) length: A1 = 110 bp; A2 = 108 bp; A3 = 106 bp and A6 = 104 pb. Six genotypes were found, with an observed heterozygosity of 0.48. The most frequent genotype in OA and controls was A1/A1 (43.8% and 43.4%, respectively). No significant difference in genotype distribution was found between OA - even when discriminating by the affected joint - and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
We did not find any difference in the MATN-1 genotype distribution in OA patients and controls. To our knowledge, this would be the first time a MATN-1 allele of 104 bp (A6) has been identified These results do not support a role of the MATN-1 genotypes in the occurrence of clinical OA.
Strusberg
I
I
Center for Detection of Metabolic Defects (CEPIDEM), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, National University of Córdoba, Argentina. jmoreno@biomed.uncor.edu
Sembaj
A
A
Tabares
S
S
Strusberg
A M
AM
del Castillo
I
I
Villamar
M
M
Barral
J Moreno
JM
D064236:Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D064236:Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C577539:MATN1 protein, human; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; C577553:TSP5 protein, human; D004247:DNA