title: Association analyses of DNA methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1) polymorphisms with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: The etiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is very complex, and genetic factors appear to play a significant role in susceptibility to SLE, in determining the disease expression, and in the autoantibody profiles of individuals with SLE. DNA methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1) is a major enzyme that determines genomic methylation patterns and both maintains methyltransferase and exhibits de novo DNA methylation activity in vivo. In order to clarify the association of DNMT1 polymorphisms with SLE, we scrutinized the genetic polymorphisms in exons and their boundaries of DNMT1, including the -1,500 bp promoter region, by direct sequencing in 24 Korean individuals. Twenty-nine sequence variants were identified: two in 5'UTR, six in exons, and 21 in introns. Eight of these polymorphisms were selected for a larger-scale genotyping (n=680) by considering their allele frequencies, haplotype-tagging status, and linkage disequilibrium coefficiencies (LDs) among polymorphisms. The associations between DNMT1 polymorphisms and the clinical profiles of SLE were analyzed. No significant associations with the risk of SLE were detected. However, further analyses of association with autoantibody production among SLE patients revealed that one nonsynonymous SNP, +14463G>C (V120L) in exon 4, was weakly associated with an increased risk of anti-La antibody production (P=0.04), although the significance could not be retained after correction of multiple tests. The DNMT1 variations and haplotypes clarified in this study would provide valuable information for future genetic studies of other autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Epidemiology, SNP Genetics, Inc., 11th Floor, MaeHun B/D, 13 Chongro 4 Ga, Chongro-Gu, Seoul, 110-834, South Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Lae
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Epidemiology, SNP Genetics, Inc., 11th Floor, MaeHun B/D, 13 Chongro 4 Ga, Chongro-Gu, Seoul, 110-834, South Korea.
authors.forename: Lyoung Hyo
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Epidemiology, SNP Genetics, Inc., 11th Floor, MaeHun B/D, 13 Chongro 4 Ga, Chongro-Gu, Seoul, 110-834, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoung Doo
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, The Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-Dong, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 133-792, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Wook
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, The Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-Dong, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 133-792, South Korea.
authors.forename: Wan Sik
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Uhm
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, The Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-Dong, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 133-792, South Korea. scbae@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sang-Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; C000619380:DNMT1 protein, human