title: Association between polymorphisms in the FCGRT gene and lupus nephritis in Chinese patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies on mouse models have indicated that the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) plays important roles in a variety of autoimmune diseases. A variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms within the FCGRT gene have been detected, and were found to affect the expression and functioning of FcRn. This study investigated the possible association of FCGRT VNTR polymorphisms with susceptibility and clinical manifestations in patients with lupus nephritis (LN).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 404 Han Chinese subjects, comprising 200 patients with LN and 204 geographically-matched healthy controls, participated in the study. The FCGRT VNTR polymorphism was genotyped by DNA amplification using a touchdown polymerase chain reaction followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of VNTR polymorphisms within the FCGRT gene in Chinese subjects was different to that in Caucasians. Analysis of allele and genotype frequencies revealed no significant difference between LN patients and controls. There was no significant difference in the clinical features or prognosis in LN patients when stratified by VNTR polymorphism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that VNTR polymorphisms within the FCGRT promoter are not associated with LN in the Chinese population.
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Peking University first Hospital, Peking University Institute of Nephrology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: X-J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011379:Prognosis; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000235:genetics*; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D011961:Receptors, Fc; C100688:Fc receptor, neonatal