PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Makiko Okada AU - Hitoshi Ogasawara AU - Hiroshi Kaneko AU - Takashi Hishikawa AU - Iwao Sekigawa AU - Hiroshi Hashimoto AU - Naoki Maruyama AU - Yutaro Kaneko AU - Naoki Yamamoto TI - Role of DNA methylation in transcription of human endogenous retrovirus in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. DP - 2002 Aug 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - 1678--1682 VI - 29 IP - 8 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/29/8/1678.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/29/8/1678.full SO - J Rheumatol2002 Aug 01; 29 AB - OBJECTIVE: We recently reported that transcription of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) clone 4-1-like sequences is increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We therefore investigated the role of DNA methylation in the transcription of this HERV. METHODS: The effect of a demethylating agent, 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza C), on the transcription of HERV clone 4-1 in healthy individuals and patients with SLE was examined using reverse transcriptase-PCR and real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: 5-aza C increased clone 4-1-like messenger RNA in healthy controls, but not in patients with SLE. CONCLUSION: Defects of methylation may contribute to the transcription of HERV in patients with SLE and this may be related to the pathogenesis of SLE.