Major histocompatibility complex class I chain related (MIC) A gene, TNFa microsatellite alleles and TNFB alleles in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients from Latvia.

In order to analyze involvement of major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A (MICA) and tumor necrosis factor a (TNFa) microsatellite polymorphisms as well as TNFB gene in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), we studied 128 patients divided into groups according to clinical features [monoarthritis (n = 14), oligoarthritis (n = 58), polyarthritis (n = 50), and systemic (n = 6)], and 114 age- and sex-matched healthy controls from Latvia. DNA samples were amplified with specific primers and used for genotyping of MICA and TNFa microsatellite. Typing for a biallelic NcoI polymerase chain reaction RFLP polymorphism located at the first intron of TNFB gene was done as follows: restriction digests generated fragments of 555bp and 185bp for TNFB*1 allele, and 740bp for TNFB*2 allele. The results were compared between cases and controls. We found significant increase of MICA allele A4 (p = 0.009; odds ratio [OR] = 2.3) and allele TNFa2 (p = 0.0001; OR = 4.4) in patients compared with controls. The frequency of allele TNFa9 was significantly decreased (p = 0.0001; OR = 0.1) in patients with JIA. No significant differences of TNFB allele frequency were found. Our data suggest that MICA and TNFa microsatellite polymorphisms may be used as markers for determination of susceptibility and protection from JIA.