title: Possible role of DNA hypomethylation in the induction of SLE: relationship to the transcription of human endogenous retroviruses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the contribution of DNA methyltransferase activity to the transcription of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), which have been reported to be a plausible causative agent for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative-PCR (RQ-PCR) were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results indicated that treatment with 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza C), a demethylating agent, increased the transcription of messenger RNA (mRNA) for HERV clone 4-1 and decreased mRNA for DNA methyltransferase-1 (DNMT-1; methylation-regulating enzyme) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal individuals. Also, transcription of DNMT-1 mRNA in PBMC from patients with SLE was lower than in cells from normal controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DNA hypomethylation seems to play a significant role in the transcription of HERV clone 4-1 and may be related to the pathogenesis of SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hishikawa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekigawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011336:Probability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012333:RNA, Messenger