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Differences in T cell receptor restriction fragment length polymorphisms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
S W Funkhouser1, P Concannon, P Charmley
1School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a T cell receptor (TCR) polymorphism, either by itself or in combination with particular HLA polymorphism, leads to susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods:
Eight restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected with TCR gene segments were investigated in 46 individuals with RA and were compared with data from normal control subjects.
Results:
A statistically significant difference in the genotype frequencies of a Taq I RFLP detected with the TCR alpha constant region (C alpha) gene was noted. In addition, when the DR4+ subpopulations were examined, the allelic frequency of a 2-kb Bam HI fragment detected with a V beta 8 gene was increased in the samples from RA patients (P less than 0.0086).
Conclusion:
The results of this study suggest that germline differences in the TCR repertoire may be associated with RA, and that there is a contributory effect of DR4+ haplotypes with certain TCR haplotypes in susceptibility to RA.