Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Rheumatoid Arthritis, including details on treatment, symptoms, causes, medication.

Variant mannose-binding lectin 2 genotype is a risk factor for reactive systemic amyloidosis in rheumatoid arthritis.

Maury CP, Aittoniemi J, Tiitinen S, Laiho K, Kaarela K, Hurme M

Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. peter.maury@hus.fi

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphism of the mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) gene is related to the occurrence of systemic AA amyloidosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: MBL2 structural gene polymorphisms at codon 52 (CGT-->TGT, Arg-->Cys; D), codon 54 (GGC-->GAC, Gly-->Asp; B) and codon 57 (GGA-->GAA, Gly--> Glu; C), and MBL2 promoter region polymorphism at position -221 (G-->C) were examined in 57 patients with RA complicated by biopsy-proven reactive amyloidosis and 51 control RA patients without amyloid. RESULTS: A strong association was found between the presence of a structural MBL2 gene variant O (B, D or C) and the occurrence of amyloidosis in RA patients: 29 of 57 (50.9%) of the RA patients with amyloid had a variant allele compared with 12 of 51 (23.5%) of the RA patients without amyloid (OR 3.37, 95% CI 1.47-7.72; P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: We conclude that variant MBL2 structural genotype constitutes a significant risk factor for reactive amyloidosis in RA and that the increased risk is probably related to MBL-mediated impairment of mononuclear phagocyte function.

Published 18 September 2007 in J Intern Med, 262(4): 466-9.
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