The (-765 G→C) promoter variant of the COX-2/PTGS2 gene is associated with a lower risk for end-stage hip and knee osteoarthritis.
BACKGROUND
Functional polymorphisms in genes of proinflammatory signalling cascades may contribute to the genetic risk of osteoarthritis (OA).


OBJECTIVE
To examine a possible association between end-stage OA of the hip and knee joint and a known single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the COX-2 gene promoter.


METHODS
The SNP -765 G→C (rs20417) of the COX-2 gene promoter was genotyped by pyrosequencing in 531 (320 women/211 men) patients with OA from the Ulm Osteoarthritis Study and 400 (200 women/200 men) regional controls from the south-west of Germany.


RESULTS
In the whole study population the C allele was associated with a lower risk (per allele OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.43 to 0.75, p&lt;0.0001) and the G allele with a higher risk for end-stage OA. Analysis of subgroups confirmed this result for primary, bilateral, hip and knee OA.


CONCLUSIONS
The promoter polymorphism rs20417 of the COX-2 gene contributes to the genetic risk for end-stage hip and knee OA.
Schneider
E M
EM
Division for Experimental Anaesthesiology, Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Du
W
W
Fiedler
J
J
Högel
J
J
Günther
K P
KP
Brenner
H
H
Brenner
R E
RE
D000368:Aged; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human