Polymorphsims of CTLA-4 exon 1 +49, CTLA-4 promoter -318 and Fas promoter -670 in spondyloarthropathies.

The aim of the study was to investigate a possible association between the CTLA-4 exon 1 +49, CTLA-4 promoter -318 and Fas promoter -670 and spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Polymerase chain reaction of genomic DNA-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine genotypes of the CTLA-4 exon 1 +49, CTLA-4 promoter -318 and Fas promoter -670 in 54 SpA patients, 84 healthy control subjects and 87 bronchial asthma patients as disease controls. There were no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of the CTLA-4 exon 1, promoter and Fas promoter genes among SpA, asthma patients and controls. No significant differences were found in age at onset, sex, disease duration, history of enthesopathy, peripheral arthritis and uveitis, Schober test, chest expansion, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate among patients with SpA according to the CTLA-4 exon 1, CTLA-4 promoter and Fas promoter polymorphisms. We found no association between the polymorphisms of the CTLA-4 exon 1 +49, CTLA-4 promoter -318 and Fas promoter -670 genes and SpA. However, further studies are required to discover the possible contribution of the polymorphisms of the CTLA-4 and Fas to the pathogenesis of SpA.