Association between age at diagnosis of Graves' disease and variants in genes involved in immune response

PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e59349. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059349. Epub 2013 Mar 27.

Abstract

Background: Graves' disease (GD) is a complex disease in which genetic predisposition is modified by environmental factors. The aim of the study was to examine the association between genetic variants in genes encoding proteins involved in immune response and the age at diagnosis of GD.

Methods: 735 GD patients and 1216 healthy controls from Poland were included into the study. Eight genetic variants in the HLA-DRB1, TNF, CTLA4, CD40, NFKb, PTPN22, IL4 and IL10 genes were genotyped. Patients were stratified by the age at diagnosis of GD and the association with genotype was analysed.

Results: Polymorphism in the HLA-DRB1, TNF and CTLA4 genes were associated with GD. The carriers of the HLA DRB1*03 allele were more frequent in patients with age at GD diagnosis ≤30 years than in patients with older age at GD diagnosis.

Conclusions: HLADRB1*03 allele is associated with young age at diagnosis of Graves' disease in Polish population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / genetics
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency / genetics
  • Genetic Association Studies
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Graves Disease / diagnosis
  • Graves Disease / genetics*
  • Graves Disease / immunology*
  • Graves Ophthalmopathy / diagnosis
  • Graves Ophthalmopathy / genetics
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains / genetics
  • Haplotypes / genetics
  • Humans
  • Immunity / genetics*
  • Male
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics

Substances

  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Grant number N N519 579938. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.