Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an oligogenic disease for which only one susceptibility locus has been identified to date. Genes involved in T-cell regulation are potential candidates. Association to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated-4 (CTLA-4) protein, a negative regulator of T-cell activation, has previously been described in a subset of German RA patients carrying the HLA DRB1*0401 subtype. Linkage and association with another oligogenic autoimmune disease, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, has also been described in a Spanish population.
Objective: To investigate the association of CTLA-4 with RA in Spanish and UK subjects.
Methods: Caucasoid UK RA patients (n=192), UK controls (n=96), Spanish RA patients (n=136) and Spanish controls (n=144) were typed for an A/G bi-allelic polymorphism in exon 1 of CTLA-4 using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) (enzyme).
Results: No significant differences in the frequency of the G allele or the GG genotype were found in either the UK or Spanish RA patients compared with controls.
Conclusion: No significant evidence was found of an association between RA and CTLA-4.