PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M M Amoli
AU  - E Shelley
AU  - D L Mattey
AU  - C Garcia-Porrua
AU  - W Thomson
AU  - A H Hajeer
AU  - W E Ollier
AU  - M A Gonzalez-Gay
TI  - Lack of association between intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphisms and giant cell arteritis.
DP  - 2001 Jul 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 1600--1604
VI  - 28
IP  - 7
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/28/7/1600.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/28/7/1600.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2001 Jul 01; 28
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Studies have shown an association between HLA-DRB1*04 and giant cell arteritis (GCA). Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) gene polymorphisms were reported to contribute susceptibility to GCA in Italian patients where susceptibility to GCA is not associated with HLA-DRB1*04 alleles. ICAM-1 is also highly expressed within inflammatory infiltrates of the blood vessels of GCA patients. To investigate the clinical implications of ICAM-1 polymorphisms in GCA, we examined their potential association and influence in the development of visual ischemic complications in a series of patients with GCA from Northwest Spain where GCA susceptibility is associated with HLA-DRB1*04. METHODS: Fifty-eight biopsy proven GCA and 129 ethnically matched controls were studied. Patients and controls were genotyped for ICAM-1 polymorphism at codons 241 and 469 by PCR-RFLP. RESULTS: The distribution of the alleles and genotypes for each ICAM- polymorphism did not show significant differences between GCA patients and controls. Although visual manifestations were significantly more likely to occur in men than women (OR 5.2, p = 0.018), allele and genotype frequencies of ICAM-1 polymorphisms in patients with GCA were not associated with development of visual complications or anemia. Visual complications in GCA were primarily associated with carriage of an HLA-DRB1*04 allele. No evidence was found for interaction between HLA-DRB1*04 and ICAM-1 polymorphism. CONCLUSION: ICAM-1 polymorphisms are not genetic risk factors for the susceptibility and severity of GCA in Northwest Spain.