title: Overexpression and unique rearrangement of VH2 transcripts in immunoglobulin variable heavy chain genes in ankylosing spondylitis patients.
abstract: To identify immunoglobulin variable heavy chain (VH) gene usages in Korean ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, expression level of VH2 genes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 8 AS patients and 9 healthy donors was analysed by quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR). Q-PCR results demonstrated VH2 genes were overexpressed in AS patients (Relative amount of mRNA of VH2 genes to a house-keeping gene, 7.13+/-7.77 vs, 0.68+/-0.55; P<0.0001). The sequence analysis revealed the majority of them contained CDC42 binding protein kinase Beta (CDC42 BPB) genes. The insertion of CDC42 BPB gene was confirmed by PCR with primers corresponding CDC42 BPB and CH genes. Our study revealed VH2 overexpression and unique rearrangement in Ig VH genes from peripheral blood of AS patients. This may imply aberrant immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in B cell occurs in Korean AS patients, which requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Korea Institute of Science and Technology - Europe Forschungsges. mbH Saarbücken, Germany.
authors.forename: Yeon Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Na Young
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyo Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Han Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Chang Hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Nam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007723:Korea; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065636:Myotonin-Protein Kinase; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; C118666:CDC42BPB protein, human; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D065636:Myotonin-Protein Kinase