beta2 Adrenoceptor gene single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with rheumatoid arthritis in northern Sweden.
BACKGROUND
beta(2) Adrenoceptor (beta(2)-AR) represents a link between the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system, and may be involved in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The gene encoding beta(2)-AR contains three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at amino acid positions 16, 27, and 164.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the common variants at positions 16 and 27 and their association with RA.


METHODS
An allele-specific polymerase chain reaction to determine the common variants at positions 16 and 27 was used in 154 patients with RA and 198 ethnically matched healthy subjects from northern Sweden.


RESULTS
Carriage of Arg16 and of Gln27 was associated with RA. Carriage of Gln27 was associated with activity of the disease and in combination with non-carriage of Arg16 with higher levels of rheumatoid factor.


CONCLUSIONS
The beta2-AR SNPs may thus constitute an additional non-major histocompatibility complex association in RA.
Xu
B-Y
BY
Immunological Research Laboratory, Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
Arlehag
L
L
Rantapää-Dahlquist
S-B
SB
Lefvert
A K
AK
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D002353:Carrier State; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood; D013548:Sweden
D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor