Disturbances in hOGG1 gene expression in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Using the method of semiquantitative reverse transcription PCR we studied the expression of hOGG1 gene (exons 1-4 and 1-7) in peripheral blood cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Expression of this gene was disturbed in 9 of 18 patients (50%). In two patients mRNA of this gene was not expressed. In 5 patients hOGG1 mRNA was practically absent and was detected only after 35 amplification cycles. Suppression of exons 4-7 expression was detected in two of these cases and expression of both mRNA fragments (exons 1-4 and 4-7) was suppressed in 3 cases. In two patients a decrease in the relative content of exons 4-7 mRNA was found against the background of normal level of mRNA for exons 1-4. In none of the patients changes in the sequence of hOGG1 mRNA exons were revealed by parallel DGGE analysis. Our findings attest to disturbances in the expression of hOGG1 gene, primarily alpha-hOGG1 isoforms of the enzyme, in peripheral blood cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.