Expression of CD152 (CTLA-4) in children with autoimmune thyroiditis and +49 A/G polymorphism of exon 1 of the CTLA-4 gene.
CTLA-4 gene is one of the strongest locus of genetic susceptibility to autoimmune thyroid diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate surface expression of CTLA-4 on peripheral T cells in homozygotes AA and GG at position +49 of CTLA-4 gene in children with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and in healthy controls. Blood samples were obtained from 100 children: 45 with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 55 controls. CTLA-4 exon 1 polymorphism was defined by SSCP and RFLP with BbvI enzyme. T cells were analyzed with three color flow cytometry by Coulter EPICS XL. We found that CTLA-4 expression was significantly lower in the thyroiditis patients than in controls, but CTLA-4 expression in homozygotes GG and AA was comparable. We therefore conclude that decreased expression of CTLA-4 on T cells in children with Hashimoto's thyroiditis is not dependent on polymorphic changes at position +49 of CTLA-4 gene.
Department of Paediatrics and Endocrinology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland. amakucharska@tlen.pl
A M
AM
Kucharska
E
E
Gorska
M
M
Wasik
B
B
Pyrzak
U
U
Demkow
D000293:Adolescent; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D002648:Child; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D015703:Antigens, CD; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human