Inducible nitric oxide synthase polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura in northwestern Spain.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the contribution of 2 polymorphisms within the inducible nitric oxide (NOS2A) promoter region to the susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), and to determine if implications exist with severe systemic complications of HSP, in particular with severe renal involvement and permanent renal dysfunction (renal sequelae).


METHODS
Fifty-eight patients from Northwest Spain with primary cutaneous vasculitis classified as HSP were studied. All patients were required to have had at least 2 years' followup. Patients and ethnically matched controls (n=251) were genotyped by PCR based techniques for a multiallelic (CCTTT)n and for the biallelic TAAA repeat in the promoter region of the NOS2A gene.


RESULTS
HSP patients exhibited a significantly increased frequency of the NOS2A short (8-11) CCTTTn alleles (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.09-2.47, p=0.017) and genotypes (OR 3.59, 95% CI 1.79-7.20, p=0.0002) compared to controls, particularly when patients with nephritis were compared with controls. However, when the NOS2A TAAA repeat polymorphism was assessed, no differences were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant differences in the NOS2A promoter polymorphism allele and genotype frequency between HSP patients and controls suggest a potential role for this gene in the susceptibility to HSP and in the development of nephritis.
Martin
Javier
J
Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina Lopez-Neyra, CSIC, Granada, Spain.
Paco
Laura
L
Ruiz
Maria P
MP
Lopez-Nevot
Miguel A
MA
Garcia-Porrua
Carlos
C
Amoli
Mahsa M
MM
Calviño
Maria C
MC
Ollier
William E R
WE
Gonzalez-Gay
Miguel A
MA
D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D009393:Nephritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013030:Spain
C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II