MICA gene and ankylosing spondylitis: linkage analysis via a transmembrane‐encoded triplet repeat polymorphism

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In order to address the possibility that the MICA gene located 47 kb upstream from HLA‐B is involved in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), we have investigated microsatellite polymorphism in the transmembrane region of MICA in Caucasian patients with AS. The microsatellite allele consisting of 4 repetitions of GCT/AGC was present at significantly higher frequency in the patient group (Pc4 allele was significantly low in the B27‐positive patients than in the B27‐positive healthy controls (Pc=0.0145). These observations suggest that B27 itself remains the primary genetic marker for AS, although the significantly dissimilar pheno‐type frequency of the (GCT/AGC)4 allele in B27‐positive patients and healthy individuals may reflect the existence of other genetic factor(s) in the HLA‐B27 haplotype involved in the development of AS.