RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms in giant cell arteritis.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 2160
OP 2164
VO 30
IS 10
A1 Luigi Boiardi
A1 Bruno Casali
A1 Davide Nicoli
A1 Enrico Farnetti
A1 Qingquan Chen
A1 Pierluigi Macchioni
A1 Maria Grazia Catanoso
A1 Lia Pulsatelli
A1 Riccardo Meliconi
A1 Carlo Salvarani
YR 2003
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/10/2160.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To examine potential associations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and disease expression, in particular in patients with and without ischemic complications. METHODS: We enrolled 92 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven GCA residing in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Two hundred healthy blood donors from the same geographic area were selected as controls. All the GCA patients and controls were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction and allele-specific oligonucleotide techniques for 936 C/T and 634 C/G mutations and for an 18 bp insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the VEGF promoter region. In vitro release of VEGF by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was investigated by ELISA in controls homozygous for the polymorphisms studied. RESULTS: The carriage rates of the alleles I and C634 were significantly more frequent in GCA patients than in controls (p = 0.025, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.1 and p = 0.015, OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-3.6, respectively). The distribution of allele T936 was similar in GCA patients and controls. No significant differences in the distribution of the polymorphisms studied were observed in patients with ischemic manifestations compared to those without ischemic manifestations. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated VEGF production by PBMC from controls was higher in II homozygous compared to DD homozygous patients. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that carriers of C634 and I alleles are associated with susceptibility to developing GCA.