An Extensive Study of the Functional Polymorphisms of Kinin-Kallikrein System in Rheumatoid Arthritis Susceptibility

Anthoula CHATZIKYRIAKIDOU1, Paraskevi V. VOULGARI2, Alexandros A. DROSOS2

1Laboratory of Medical Biology - Genetics, Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
2Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Clinic, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

Keywords: Kinin-kallikrein system, polymorphisms, rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to examine the following functional polymorphisms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility: (i) the 587C>T of kininogen gene, (ii) the 287 bp Alu repeat insertion of angiotensin converting enzyme gene, (iii) the 9 bp insertion of bradykinin receptor 2 gene, (iv) the -58T>C of bradykinin receptor 2 gene, and (v) the -699G>C of bradykinin receptor 1 gene.
Patients and methods: The study included 136 RA patients (27 males; 109 females; mean age 60.8 years; range 39 to 75 years) and 149 ethnic matching controls (30 males, 119 females; mean age 56.2 years; range 35 to 78 years). Polymerase chain reaction coupled with restriction assay was performed for 587C>T, -58T>C, and -699G>C.
Results: Rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls carried the wild type allele of 587C>T; therefore, produced the high molecular weight kininogen. No significant difference was observed in genotype or allele distribution of the studied functional polymorphisms between RA patients and controls.
Conclusion: Kinin-kallikrein system related genes might not be major RA susceptibility loci.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.