A suggestive association of fuchs heterochromic cyclitis with cytotoxic T cell antigen 4 gene polymorphism.
BACKGROUND
Fuchs heterochromic cyclitis (FHC) is a chronic inflammatory eye disease, usually presenting as unilateral anterior uveitis. Up to date no disease susceptibility genes have been described for FHC.


METHODS
The allele frequency of HLA DRB1 and DQB1, polymorphisms of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha promoter region (-376, -308, -238), the promoter (-318), first exon (+49) and (AT)n repeat polymorphism of the cytotoxic T cell antigen 4 (CTLA4) gene were analysed in 44 FHC patients and 139 healthy controls.


RESULTS
The CTLA4 -318 C/T genotype was increased in FHC patients [odds ratio (OR) 3.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-6.5], as well as long CTLA4 (AT)n microsatellite alleles with more than 16 AT repeats (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.3-5.3). A trend towards the -308 G/A TNF-alpha genotype was found in the patient cohort, whereas no difference in HLA class II allele distribution was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
CTLA4 but not TNF-alpha or HLA class II DRB1 and DQB1 may represent a candidate gene for disease susceptibility in FHC.
Spriewald
Bernd M
BM
Institute for Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine 3, University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Erlangen, Germany. bernd.spriewald@med3.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Lefter
Carolina
C
Huber
Ilka
I
Lauer
Birgit
B
Wenkel
Hartmut
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics*; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D015863:Iridocyclitis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha