impact factor, citescore
logo
In press
In Press
Recent issue
Recent issue
Recent Supplement
Recent supplement
archives
Archives
articles free
Free to view
Search
Search
 

Full Papers

 

Immunogenetics of complement in mixed cryoglobulinaemia

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

 

  1. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy. elisa.menegatti@unito.it
  2. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy.
  3. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy.
  4. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy.
  5. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy.
  6. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy.
  7. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy.
  8. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Center of Research on Immunopathology and Rare Diseases (CMID) and Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Turin, Italy.

CER8195
2016 Vol.34, N°3 ,Suppl.97
PI 0012, PF 0015
Full Papers

Free to view
(click on article PDF icon to read the article)

PMID: 26842656 [PubMed]

Received: 09/12/2014
Accepted : 23/06/2015
In Press: 02/02/2016
Published: 27/05/2016

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
A low C4 level is one of the hallmarks of mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC). However, several reports suggest that other factors may be involved in C4 depletion. The C4 gene is located in a multiallelic CNV locus in the human MHC region. We studied the C4 gene copy number (GCN) and both C4A and C4B isotypes, as well as the presence of the hypofunctional C4A6 allotype (rs41315824) and C4A0 allotype (rs367709216) in 41 MC patients, 16 SLE patients and 78 healthy controls.
METHODS:
GCN of the C4 gene were evaluated by real time PCR. C4A6 allotype (p.Arg458Trp) and ins 2-bp mutation in exon 29 were screened by primer extension. Correlation with clinical signs of the disease (cutaneous ulcers, peripheral neuropathy, GN, purpura, hepatitis) have been performed by cluster analysis, (K-means algorithm).
RESULTS:
C4 GCN analysis showed that fewer MC patients had more than 2 copies of the C4A gene as well as a lower C4A gene-copy index (1.90 ± 0.54 vs. 2.21 ± 0.78) as compared to healthy controls. SNP rs41315824 analysis showed a significant increase in the frequency of the p.Arg458Trp (C4A6) variant in cryoglobulinaemic patients. Lastly, cluster analysis allowed us to identify two separate clusters of patients. The cluster that included patients with three or less C4 gene copies was found to have a greater prevalence of the most severe complications such as glomerulonephritis, neuropathy and severe cutaneous ulcers.
CONCLUSIONS:
These data suggest there may be a relationship between polymorphisms of the C4 gene and clinical presentation.

Rheumatology Article