Autoimmune manifestations in human myelodysplasia: a positive correlation with interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) expression.
BACKGROUND
Patients with myelodysplasia may have autoimmune manifestations (AIM). Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a transcription factor involved in interferon signalling, leukaemogenesis, and the development of the immune system.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether IRF-1 is implicated in the pathophysiology of AIM in myelodysplasia.


METHODS
14 patients with myelodysplasia were studied, seven with AIM and seven without. Five patients with vasculitis and seven normal subjects served as controls. The expression of IRF-1 was studied in bone marrow mononuclear cells taken from patients and controls, using a relative quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
A 10-fold reduction in full length IRF-1 mRNA was detected in the myelodysplasia patients without AIM compared with the normal controls. In contrast, the group with AIM had increased IRF-1 transcripts, to a level almost equal to that observed in patients with vasculitis and normal controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Myelodysplasia patients without IRF-1 expression had a decreased incidence of AIM. Thus the absence of IRF-1 transcription factor appears to protect against the development of autoimmunity in myelodysplasia.
Giannouli
S
S
Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Tzoanopoulos
D
D
Ritis
K
K
Kartalis
G
G
Moutsopoulos
H M
HM
Voulgarelis
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494257:IRF1 protein, human; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger