ISSN 2756-3375
African Journal of Immunology Research ISSN 9431-5833 Vol. 5 (3), pp. 314-319, March, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Association of HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism with autoantibody production in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases
Feng-Xia WU1, Li-Jun WU2, Xiong-Yan Luo1, Zhong Tang1, Ming-Hui Yang1, Yan-Hui Xia1*, Chuan-Mei XIE1, Ning-Tao Liu3, Xiao-feng Zeng4 and Guo-Hua Yuan1
1Institute of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, P. R. China.
2Department of Rheumatology, People`s Hosptial of XinJiang Uygur Autonomus Region, Urumchi, XiJiang, P. R. China.
3Department of Rheumatology, Suining Municipal People’s Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan, P. R. China.
4Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +86 817 226 2325. Fax: +86 817 222 323.
Accepted 03 May, 2017
Abstract
HLA-G is a non-classical HLA-class Ib molecule and has multiple immunoregulatory properties. A 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the HLA-G gene has been suggested to influence the expression of HLA-G and then to associate with certain pathological conditions, including autoimmune diseases. The aim of study was to evaluate the possible association of the HLA-G 14bp insertion (+14bp) and deletion (-14bp) polymorphism with autoantibody production in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A total of 504 patients with rheumatic diseases and 367 unrelated healthy controls from a Chinese Han population were HLA-G genotyped for the 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism. No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequencies of the HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion alleles or genotypes between controls and patients with rheumatic disease. However, significant differences in the distribution of the HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism could be demonstrated for patients with positive anti-snRNP antibodies and patients with positive anti-histone antibodies when compared with the respective antibody-negative patients. The anti-snRNP antibodies positive group showed markedly increased frequencies of the +14bp allele (P = 0.0001, OR = 1.794, 95% CI = 1.329 - 2.422) as well as the +14/-14bp heterozygotes (P = 0.0001, OR = 2.306, 95% CI = 1.511 - 3.521). Moreover, an increased frequencies of the -14bp allele (P = 0.0001, OR = 2.302, 95% CI = 1.657 - 3.198) and the -14/-14bp homozygous genotype (P = 0.0001, OR = 3.035, 95% CI = 1.974 - 4.667) was observed in the patients with positive anti-histone antibodies. These findings are the first time to indicate that the HLA-G 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism could be a genetic risk factor influencing the susceptibility for the autoantibody production in rheumatic diseases.
Key words: HLA-G, polymorphism, autoantibodies, rheumatic disease.