title: Association of CTLA-4 (+49A/G) gene polymorphism with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Egyptian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the distribution of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) (+49 A/G) gene variants and the association of these variants with the clinical and laboratory findings in Egyptian children with Type-1 Diabetes (T1D).
  
  
  METHODS
  A case control study was done for 104 Egyptian children with T1D and 78 age and sex matched healthy control. CTLA-4 (+49 A/G) gene polymorphism typing was done by PCR amplification followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CTLA-4 G allele and GG homozygous genotype were significantly increased in T1D patients than in control group (P = 0.047, P = 0.048 respectively). There is no statistical difference between patient with optimal diabetic control (HbA1c < 8.5) and poor control (HbA1c ≥ 8.5) as regarding the CTLA-4 gene variant. The CTLA-4 GG genotype was statistically associated with younger age of patients (P = 0.027) and younger age of presentation (P = 0.036). Insignificant association was found between CTLA-4 alleles / genotypes and diabetic complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CTLA-4 +49 GG homozygous genotype is associated with T1D in Egyptian children especially with younger age of onset and in younger patients, and not associated with grades of diabetic control or diabetic complication.
authors: Clinical Immunology Unit, Clinical Pathology Department, Mansoura, Egypt. youssefmosaad@yahoo.com
authors: Youssef M
authors: YM
authors: Mosaad
authors: Ashraf A
authors: AA
authors: Elsharkawy
authors: Basem S
authors: BS
authors: El-Deek