PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W Ollier

Publications and source records attributed to W Ollier.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Polymorphisms of apolipoprotein E; outcome and susceptibility in multiple sclerosis.

Allelic variants of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene influence the course of several neurological diseases. In multiple sclerosis the concentration of APOE in cerebrospinal fluid and its intrathecal synthesis is reduced. Specific isoforms of APOE may also be important and it has been suggested that possession of the epsilon4 allele may be associated with a more aggressive disease process. These data prompted us to re-examine, in a large group of patients with multiple sclerosis, the proposal that allelism in the apolipoprotein gene influences disease course. Genotypes were determined in a well-defined group of 370 unrelated Caucasians with clinically definite multiple sclerosis and in 159 healthy controls. Age at onset, sex, disease duration, disease subtype were recorded. Disability was measured using the Kurtzke expanded disability status score in patients with a disease duration of 10 years or greater. There was no significant difference in APOE allele or genotype frequencies between patients and controls, between disease subtypes or between genders. APOE genotype did not significantly influence age of onset, and no significant relationship between genotype, allele frequency and disease severity was found. This study suggests that individual APOE alleles or genotypes do not determine disease susceptibility or the clinical course of multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗

Integrated microsatellite markers suitable for genetic studies of cytokine genes.

A panel of 13 highly informative dinucleotide repeats which are genetic markers for 17 cytokine genes and receptors is described. The marker panel is designed for use in fluorescence based semi-automated genotyping, with primers designed and labelled such that all 13 markers can be analysed in a single lane of a gel. Cytokine and cytokine receptors have a potential role in many diseases and pathological processes. Evidence suggests that cytokine production in vivo is influenced by polymorphisms within regulatory sequences of these genes. Genetic investigation of disease genes often requires genotyping of very large numbers of individuals. This panel of markers will, therefore, provide a useful tool to those wishing to undertake family-based linkage analysis studies of cytokine genes or large-scale association studies.

Alleles↗

Lack of association between childhood common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and an HLA-C locus dimorphism influencing the specificity of natural killer cells.

Previous serological studies documenting an association between acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and HLA-Cw antigens suggested that the HLA-C locus might influence susceptibility to ALL. However, associations with more than one Cw antigen suggest that polymorphic variants shared by more than Cw allele could be involved. Recent studies have shown that the HLA-C locus encodes two ligands (NK1 and NK2) recognized by receptors on natural killer (NK) cells. HLA-Cw alleles encoding these ligands are dimorphic, dependent on whether they encode one or other NK ligand. To determine whether susceptibility to the common (CD10+) form of childhood ALL (c-ALL) is associated with NK1 or NK2, we carried out a molecular analysis of 94 childhood c-ALL patients and 136 infant controls. We found no difference in the frequency of NK1 and NK2 alleles, phenotypes or genotypes between the patients and controls, suggesting that this does not explain the role of the HLA-C locus in susceptibility to childhood c-ALL.

Female↗

Influence of tumour necrosis factor microsatellite polymorphisms on susceptibility to head and neck cancer.

While cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption are recognized covariates for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the role of genetic factors in determining individual susceptibility is unknown. The human tumour necrosis factor (TNF) region on chromosome 6p21 within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) includes a number of immunologically important genes. Recently, five microsatellite markers have been described in the TNF locus. TNF levels vary with different TNF microsatellite alleles, and associations of these microsatellite markers with autoimmune diseases and different types of cancer have been shown. Therefore, the TNF locus represents candidate susceptibility genes for head and neck cancer. This study describes the influence of TNF a-d microsatellite polymorphisms on susceptibility to head and neck cancer by comparing the allele frequencies of 269 patients suffering from laryngeal cancer and 123 patients suffering from oral cavity pharyngeal cancer and 113 German controls. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, amplified by polymerase chain reaction with fluorescently labelled primers for TNF microsatellite (a-d) and electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gels using an automated DNA sequencer. The data showed no differences in allele frequencies between controls and pharyngeal cancer patients. By contrast, the TNF b3 allele was associated with altered risk for laryngeal cancer (p = 0.0006, odds ratio 2.2). Homozygosity for TNF b3/b3 resulted in an increased risk of developing laryngeal cancer (p = 0.004, odds ratio 5.3). Susceptibility to supraglottic SCC and multiple primary tumours was mediated by the absence of the a11 allele. The data provide the first evidence that allelism at the TNF microsatellite markers alter the risk of developing SCC of the larynx.

Alleles↗

Absence of an association between mannose-binding lectin polymorphism and rheumatoid arthritis.

It has been proposed that mannose-binding lectin (MBL) interactions with agalactosyl forms of IgG immunoglobulins found in rheumatoid synovial fluid might lead to enhanced complement activation, an important mediator of the joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In order to investigate this possible link between increased MBL-mediated activation of complement and perpetuation of rheumatoid synovitis, we have compared the frequency of an allelic form of MBL, known to be incapable of activating complement, in a group of hospital patients with severe RA and control subjects. No evidence was found to support an association between the presence of this MBL allele and protection from rheumatoid disease; genotype frequencies were similar in both groups. This suggests that complement activation via MBL-agalactosyl IgG complexes is unlikely to play a major role in the pathophysiology of RA.

Adult↗

Linkage of cytokine genes to rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence of genetic heterogeneity.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate linkage of candidate disease susceptibility genes to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in affected sibling pair families stratified for specific clinical features. METHOD: Two hundred RA affected sibling pair families were genotyped for informative microsatellite markers mapping within or less than 3cM from: INF alpha, INF gamma, INF beta, IL1 alpha, IL1 beta, IL1R, IL2, IL6, IL5R, IL8R, BCL2, CD40L, NOS3, NRAMP, alpha 1 anti-trypsin, and alpha 1 anti-chymotrypsin, using fluorescence based automated technology. Linkage was examined by defining allele sharing sibling pairs. This was assessed by maximum likelihood-inheritance by descent methods. RESULTS: An increase in allele sharing was seen for IL5R in female sibling pairs (LOD 0.91, p = 0.03), for INF gamma in sibling pairs with an affected male (LOD 0.96, p = 0.03) and most significantly for IL2 in sibling pairs where one or both were persistently seronegative (LOD 1.05, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Weak evidence of linkage of RA to IL5R, IFN gamma, and IL2 has been detected in clinical subsets of sibling pairs suggesting that RA is a genetically heterogeneous disease.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica can be differentiated by distinct patterns of HLA class II association.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) exhibit identical HLA class II associations. METHODS: A case-control association study was performed on a population sample from Lugo, in Northwestern Spain. DNA samples were available for 128 patients and 145 ethnically matched controls. Within the patient group 26 exhibited both PMR and GCA, 75 PMR alone, and 27 GCA alone. HLA-DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 phenotypes were defined by molecular based techniques. RESULTS: HLA-DRB 1*0401 was associated with GCA regardless of PMR status, although this only reached statistical significance in the total GCA group. This was also seen for DRB 1*0101, *0102, although the association was less strong. Patients with PMR without GCA were not associated with DRB1*0401 or *0101, *0102, but exhibited a significant association with DRB1*13, *14. Nonsignificant increases in DQA1 and DQB1 phenotype frequencies appeared to reflect known patterns of linkage disequilibrium with the HLA-DRB1 alleles associated with GCA and PMR groups. An association was observed between the presence of the RA DRB1 shared epitope (SE) and GCA but not with PMR in the absence of GCA. This association was primarily accounted for by the presence of a single copy of the SE, and homozygosity for the SE did not confer additional risk. A high frequency of SE-bearing DRB1 alleles was observed in patients with GCA with jaw claudication or visual manifestations, although the sample size of these subgroups was small. CONCLUSION: PMR and GCA in a Northwestern Spanish population have distinct HLA class II associations. HLA is unlikely to account for the observed high level of overlap in these patients, and other etiological factors may be involved.

Aged↗

Linkage and association studies of the natural resistance associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1) locus in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is any evidence of linkage between the natural resistance associated macrophage protein gene, NRAMP1, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Two dinucleotide markers, D2S1471, a highly polymorphic marker within 160 kb of NRAMP1, and a less polymorphic marker in the promoter region of NRAMP1, have been analyzed in 115 affected sib-pair RA families (35 with 2 parents, 18 with one parent) from the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council (ARC) National Repository and an additional 85 probands from the ARC National Twin Study and 96 controls. Individuals were typed for both markers by fluorescence based semiautomated polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: No evidence of increased allele sharing in affected sib-pairs was obtained using identity by descent (IBD), identity by state, and maximum likelihood score (MLS) analysis for the whole data set. A significant increase in allele sharing was observed with marker D2S1471 (LOD 0.74; p 0.05) in the HLA discordant subgroup using IBD and MLS-IBD. No significant differences in allele frequencies were observed for any markers in the association study. CONCLUSION: In a subset of sib-pairs that shared one or zero HLA haplotypes, LOD scores suggestive of linkage were observed. This suggests a role for NRAMP1 polymorphism in a subset of patients who do not possess HLA susceptibility alleles.

Alleles↗

HLA class II profile: a weak determinant of factor VIII inhibitor development in severe haemophilia A. UKHCDO Inhibitor Working Party.

The risk of developing factor VIII inhibitor antibodies in haemophilia A may relate both to factor VIII genotype and genes within the HLA complex known to influence immune response. We investigated a cohort of 176 patients with severe haemophilia A and with either high-level inhibitors (> 10BU/ml) or with no history of an inhibitor, stratified according to the presence or absence of the factor VIII gene intron 22 inversion. HLA DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 polymorphisms were determined by PCR. HLA frequencies form 137 United Kingdom controls were used for comparison. HLA phenotype frequency differences, expressed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were as follows: HLA-DRB*1501, DQB1*0602 and DQA1*0102 were all increased in frequency in patients with inhibitors, only DQA1*0102 reaching statistical significance (OR 2.7, 1.2-5.9). These alleles form part of an established HLA haplotype. The frequencies of HLA-DRB1*1501, DQB1*0602 and DQA1*0102 were particularly raised in patients with inhibitors and a factor VIII gene intron 22 inversion, although again only DQA1*0102 achieved significance (OR 3.1, 1.0-10.1). The frequency of DRB1*01, DQB1*0501, DQA1*0101 were also increased in inhibitor patients lacking the intron 22 inversion although this failed to achieve statistical significance. This data suggests that HLA class II profile constitutes a weak risk factor for developing inhibitor antibodies to factor VIII. This may be more pronounced in patients with an intron 22 inversion.

Chromosome Inversion↗

Molecular analysis of HLA-DQB1 alleles in childhood common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Epidemiological studies suggest that childhood common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (c-ALL) may be the rare outcome of early post-natal infection with a common infectious agent. One of the factors that may determine whether a child succumbs to c-ALL is how it responds to the candidate infection. Since immune responses to infection are under the partial control of (human leucocyte antigen) HLA genes, an association between an HLA allele and c-ALL could provide support for an infectious aetiology. To define the limit of c-ALL susceptibility within the HLA region, we have compared HLA-DQB1 allele frequencies in a cohort of 62 children with c-ALL with 76 newborn controls, using group-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. We find that a significant excess of children with c-ALL type for DQB1*05 [relative risk (RR): 2.54, uncorrected P=0.038], and a marginal excess with DQB1*0501 (RR: 2.18; P=0.095). Only 3 of the 62 children with c-ALL have the other susceptibility allele, DPB1*0201 as well as DQB1*0501, whereas 15 had one or the other allele. This suggests that HLA-associated susceptibility may be determined independently by at least two loci, and is not due to linkage disequilibrium. The combined relative risk of the two groups of children with DPB1*0201 and/or DQB1*0501 is 2.76 (P=0.0076). Analysis of amino acids encoded by exon 2 of DQB1 reveal additional complexity, with significant (P<0.05) or borderline-significant increases in Gly26, His30, Val57, Glu66-Val67 encoding motifs in c-ALL compared with controls. Since these amino acids are not restricted to DQB1*0501, our results suggest that, as with DPB1, the increased risk of c-ALL associated with DQB1 is determined by specific amino acid encoding motifs rather than by an individual allele. These results also suggest that HLA-associated susceptibility to c-ALL may not be restricted to the region bounded by DPB1 and DQB1.

Alleles↗

Polymyalgia rheumatica is associated with both HLA-DRB1*0401 and DRB1*0404.

The frequency of HLA-DRB1 alleles was determined in 68 Caucasoid patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and 140 controls using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequence-specific oligonucleotide typing. In keeping with previous studies, an increased frequency of DRB1*04 was observed in patients [55.9% vs 35.0%, odds ratio (OR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-4.4]. HLA-DRB1*0101 frequency was also increased in patients, although less confidence could be placed on this association (19.1% vs 14.3%, OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.6-3.3). HLA-DRB1*04 subtyping indicated that the frequencies of both DRB1*0401 (38.2% vs 22.1%, OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.0-4.3) and DRB1*0404 (16.2% vs 5.0%, OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.2-11.1) were specifically raised. An increased frequency of the RA shared epitope (QKRAA/QRRAA) was also observed in this group (75.0% vs 44.2%, OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.9-7.6). When the analysis was restricted to only DRB1*04-negative patients and controls, the frequencies of DRB1*0301, *11 and *08 were marginally raised. However, no obvious relationship appeared to exist between PMR susceptibility and DRB1 alleles carrying the DYF conserved epitope in the second hypervariable region. Autoantibodies to thyroid antigens were present in 23% of patients. An increased frequency of DRB1*0301 was observed in patients with thyroid microsomal antibodies compared to those without (54.5% vs 24.6%, OR 3.7, 95% CI 0.8-17.0). This increase was not observed in patients with thyroglobulin autoantibodies. These data indicate that both DRB1*0401 and *0404 are associated with PMR, and that this may extend to include DRB1*0101. The immunogenetic profile of susceptibility markers in this condition appears to be similar to that in rheumatoid arthritis.

Aged↗

Antinuclear antibodies in early onset pauciarticular juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) are associated with HLA-DQB1*0603: a possible JCA-associated human leucocyte antigen haplotype.

A panel of 43 early onset pauciarticular (EOPA) juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) patients have been typed for human leucocyte antigens (HLA) DRB1, DPB1, DQA1 alleles, and DQB1*0603 status using molecular-based methods. Increased frequencies of DRB1*08 [odds ratio (OR) 7.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6-22.3], DRB1*11 (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.2-8.1), DRB1*1301 (OR 7.7, 95% CI 2.6-22.3), DPB1*0201 (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.6-8.0), DQA1*0103 (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.5-13.3), DQA1*0501 (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.3-6.6), DQA1*0601 (OR 30, 95% CI 3.6-241) and DQB1*0603 (OR 7.3, 95% CI 3.0-17.6) were found in the EOPA-JCA group compared with Caucasoid controls. Stratification of the EOPA-JCA group into antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive (n = 18) and ANA negative (n = 25) individuals revealed that ANA positivity was only associated with DRB1*1301 (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.0-17.3), DPB1*0201 (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.0-15.7) and DQB1*0603 (OR 11.5, 95% CI 2.5-53.4). Further analysis of the relative contributions of HLA antigens to ANA status revealed that DQB1*0603 determined the primary HLA effect. No apparent interaction between DQB1*0603 and DRB1*1301 or between DQB1*0603 and DPB1*0201 was found to contribute to the association with ANA. We suggest that those ANA positive individuals with a restricted HLA background, (DQB1*0603 positive), defines a group of EOPA-JCA patients which will be especially valuable in the characterization of the ANA associated with EOPA-JCA.

Age of Onset↗

HLA-DRB1*0401/0404 genotype and rheumatoid arthritis: increased association in men, young age at onset, and disease severity.

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the reported strong association between the HLA-DRB1*0401/0404 genotype and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to investigate the influence of sex, age at disease onset, and variables of disease severity on the strength of this association. METHODS: A case control design was adopted comparing the frequency of specific HLA-DRB1 genotypes between 201 Caucasian patients with RA and 139 controls. HLA typing was performed using a polymerase chain reaction based oligonucleotide approach with HLA-DR4 subtyping using an amplification refractory mutation system RFLP technique. RESULTS: The risk of RA in those carrying a single shared epitope (SE) allele was 4 times, and in those carrying 2 SE alleles, 8 times that in the SE negative individuals. This increase was highest in individuals carrying 2 different SE alleles, with the risk in *0401/*0404 cases being 26 times higher. This genotype was associated with a 90-fold increased risk in men and this was more than doubled when age at disease onset was below 30. In all patients with RA, this genotype was associated with a substantially increased risk of being rheumatoid factor positive and having subcutaneous nodules and/or radiological erosion. CONCLUSION: Possession of the HLA-DRB1*0401/*0404 genotype carries a substantially high risk for RA development specifically in its more severe forms. The risks are particularly increased in young men.

Adolescent↗

HLA-DPB1*0201 is associated with particular clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis.

AIMS: to determine the effect of HLA-DPB1 status on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility and disease expression. METHODS: HLA-DPB1 alleles were identified in 158 RA patients and 106 controls using PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide probing. HLA-DPB1 allele frequencies were compared between patient and control groups and the strength of associations assessed using odds ratios and with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Associations observed in the total RA group were confirmed using a relative predispositional effect (RPE) analysis. RESULTS: an association between DPB1*0201 and RA was observed (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.4). By contrast, negative associations were found with DPB1*0301 (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-1.0) and DPB1*1101 (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.001-0.5). These associations were confirmed using RPE analysis. On further analysis the increase in DPB1*0201 and decrease in DPB1*0301 frequencies in RA was found to be independent of DR4 status. The association of DPB1*0201 with RA appears to be most pronounced in male patients (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.3-8.3), seronegative patients (OR 2.6, 95% CI 0.9-7.3) those with non-erosive disease (OR 2.6, 95% CI 0.9-7.3) or in patients with high titre antinuclear antibodies (OR 2.4, 95% CI 0.8-7.1). CONCLUSIONS: HLA-DPB1 alleles may be associated with the pattern of disease expression in certain RA patients and in some cases confer protection against disease.

Adult↗