Effect of matrix metalloproteinase-3 functional SNP on serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 level and outcome measures in Japanese RA patients

OBJECTIVE: A bi-allelic polymorphism on the promoter region, -1612 ins/del A, was found to influence the production of MMP-3. Since MMP-3 plays a particularly pivotal role in joint destruction, the MMP-3 gene is thought to be an interesting target gene of disease severity in RA. We attempt to determine whether the MMP-3 promoter polymorphism is associated with serum titre of MMP-3, disease activity and severity in Japanese RA patients. METHODS: DNA samples were obtained from 1504 RA patients as part of the Institute of Rheumatology Rheumatoid Arthritis observational cohort study. From the 2006 spring data, serum MMP-3 levels of 820 patients were available by enzyme immunoassay. Joint damage score at 5-yr disease duration could be measured using the Sharp/van der Heijde method in 162 patients. Genotyping of -1612 ins/del A was performed using fluorescent-labelled fragment analysis. Differences in serum MMP-3 level and joint damage score among genotypes of -1612 ins/del A polymorphism were analysed by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: No significant differences were found among MMP-3 genotypes on patient characteristics including disease activity score (P = 0.51) or health assessment questionnaire (P = 0.99). A significant effect of risk allele on serum MMP-3 level was observed (P = 0.038), while no significant effect was observed on radiographic joint damage (P = 0.47). CONCLUSION: We conclude that MMP-3 functional polymorphism is associated with serum MMP-3 titre, but is not a direct predictor for outcome measures in Japanese RA patients.     

The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of tumor necrosis factor α −308G/A gene is associated with early-onset primary knee osteoarthritis in an Egyptian female population

The objective of the present study is to investigate if there is a potential association between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the tumor necrosis factor alpha gene (TNF-α ?308G/A, rs1800629) and the susceptibility to and severity of early-onset knee osteoarthritis in the Egyptian female population. Genotype distributions and allelic frequencies of TNF-α ?308G/A polymorphism were investigated in 210 knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients and 210 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls (HC). Polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) amplifications were implemented to determine TNF-α ?308G/A SNP. Serum and synovial fluid levels of TNF-α, besides ESR and CRP, as laboratory markers for inflammation, were estimated for all patients and HC. Plain X-ray as well as MRI knee was done for grading of OA. Disease severity was estimated by Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis scores. Percentages of TNF-α-G308A genotypes GG, AG, and AA were 85.7, 11.9, and 2.4% in OA patients and 54.7, 39.1, and 6.2% in controls, respectively. The frequencies of the GG genotype and G allele were significantly higher in subjects with knee OA than in HC (P = 0.04 and P < 0.001, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that the GG genotype and G allele are independently associated with increased risk for knee OA (odds ratio = 3.13, 95% confidence interval = 1.04–9.39, P = 0.04 for GG genotype, and odds ratio = 3.81, 95% confidence interval = 2.52–5.76, P = 0.001 for G allele). There is a close relationship between TNF-α-G308A polymorphism and individual susceptibility to and severity of early-onset knee OA in the Egyptian females.     

Promoter polymorphism of the matrix metalloproteinase 3 gene is associated with regurgitation and left ventricular remodelling in mitral valve prolapse patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is common and highly variable in its severity, but the factors underlying this variability are unclear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that polymorphic variations in Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) genes might be predictors of left ventricular (LV) remodelling and severity of regurgitation in MVP. METHODS AND RESULTS: 70 MVP patients and 75 normal subjects were studied. We performed comprehensive echocardiography and analyzed promoter polymorphisms in the MMP-1 and MMP-3 genes. The MMP-3 -1612 5A/6A polymorphism showed strong associations with indices of mitral regurgitation and LV remodelling: Patients with 5A/5A allele had more pronounced remodelling and more severe mitral regurgitation than patients with the 6A/6A or 5A/6A alleles. We then cloned and sequenced 2 kb fragments of MMP-3 promoter from patients with 5A/5A and 6A/6A genotypes and found 4 different sets of promoter haplotypes. Promoter analysis showed that higher promoter activity was related to a more severe phenotype and that the haplotype variants had a more dominant role in determining the activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our data identifies the MMP-3 promoter haplotype as a novel marker of an adverse disease course in MVP, suggesting the presence of genetic determinants for the severity of MVP.     

Serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 concentration is influenced by MMP-3 -1612 5A/6A promoter genotype and associated with myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES. Matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) is implicated in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, and the MMP-3 -1612 5A/6A polymorphism is associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study examined whether the -1612 5A/6A polymorphism in the promoter region of the MMP-3 gene influences serum concentrations of MMP-3 and whether serum concentrations of MMP-3 are related to extent of coronary atherosclerosis and risk of MI. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS. This case-control study was conducted in three hospitals in the northern part of Stockholm. A total of 755 MI patients aged below 60 were screened, 433 entered and 387 completed the study. Three hundred and eighty-seven sex- and age-matched control subjects were recruited from the general population of the same county. METHODS. The MMP-3 genotype was determined by Pyrosequencing(TM) and the serum MMP-3 concentration was quantified with an immunoassay. Severity and extension of CAD was assessed by quantitative coronary angiography in a subgroup of patients (n=243). RESULTS. Patients had lower serum MMP-3 concentration than controls. There was a strong association between MMP-3 -1612 5A/6A genotype and serum concentrations of MMP-3. The presence of one or two copies of the 6A-allele was associated with a graded increase in serum MMP-3. In female patients there was an inverse correlation (r=-0.39, P<0.05) between serum MMP-3 concentration and plaque area. Conclusion. In conclusion, the serum concentration of MMP-3 is influenced by MMP-3 -1612 5A/6A genotype and associated with MI.     

急性冠脉综合征血清MMP-3水平及其基因启动子区域5A/6A多态

目的探讨基质金属蛋白酶-3（MMP-3）血清水平及其基因启动子区域5A/6A多态性与急性冠脉综合征（ACS）的关系。方法 ACS组135例,对照组71例。测定MMP-3血清水平,并对MMP-3启动子区域基因测序,分析其5A/6A多态性。结果 ACS组中AMI亚组的MMP-3血清水平高于对照组（P〈0.01）。MMP-3基因启动子区5A/6A单核苷酸多态性（SNP）的基因型在ACS组和对照组的分布有统计学差异（P〈0.05）,在ACS组中5A等位基因频率高于对照组（P〈0.05）。ACS组5A/5A基因型血清MMP-3浓度高于5A/6A基因型血清MMP-3浓度（P〈0.05）;ACS组5A/5A＋5A/6A基因型血清MMP-3浓度高于6A/6A基因型血清MMP-3浓度（P〈0.05）。进行多因子logistic回归分析,发现吸烟、高脂血症、糖尿病、高血压为ACS的主要危险因子,5A/5A＋5A/6A基因型（OR2.11,95%CI1.23～5.11,P〈0.01）亦是ACS发病的独立危险因子。吸烟并携带5A等位基因者较不吸烟携带6A/6A者有5倍的ACS发病风险（P〈0.01）。结论 MMP-3基因启动子区域5A/6A多态性及MMP-3循环水平升高与ACS发病密切相关;MMP-3血清水平受其基因5A/6A单核苷酸多态性的影响;吸烟与MMP-3基因5A/6A多态性对ACS具有协同的影响。     

基质金属蛋白酶-3基因单核苷酸多态性与冠状动脉粥样硬化程度的关联研究

目的 探讨MMP-3基因单核苷酸多态性(SNP)与冠心病患者冠状动脉粥样硬化程度间的相关性.方法 入选经冠状动脉造影证实的汉族冠心病患者1371例及健康对照695例,选择MMP-3-1612 5A/6A、-376C/G、Glu45Lys等SNPs位点,采用聚合酶链式反应-限制性内切酶片段长度多态性(PCR-RFLP)方法确定基因型.X2检验用于单因素分析时检验SNP位点与冠状动脉粥样硬化程度间的关联.结果 (1)-1612 5A/6A多态性位点在冠心病患者单支病变、双支病变、三支病变组中5A等位基因频率分别是0.185,0.183,0.152;-376C/G多态性位点在以上三组中-376G等位基因频率分别是0.329,0.326,0.325;Glu45Lys多态性位点在以上三组中45Lys等位基因频率分别是0.423,0.417,0.405.(2)-1612 5A/6A多态性位点5A等位基因频率在三支病变组中明显低于单支病变组(OR=0.74,P=0.04);相对于6A/6A基因型,含有5A等位基因的纯合子及杂合子频率在三支病变组明显低于单支病变组(OR=0.74,P=0.04).结论 中国汉族冠心病患者中MMP-3基因-1612 5A/6A多态性位点可能与冠心病患者冠状动脉粥样硬化程度相关,5A等位基因可能对冠状动脉粥样硬化的进展有保护作用.     

Association of ADAMTS5 gene polymorphisms with osteoarthritis in Chinese Han population: a community-based case–control study

Aggrecanase-2 (ADAMTS5) is reported to play essential roles in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA). To explore the relationship between ADAMTS5 gene polymorphisms and primary OA, we conducted a community-based case–control study. A total of 732 community residents aged 40–84 years participated in the community-based study in Northeast China. After taking physical examination and radiographic examination, 420 persons of the residents were diagnosed OA (216 women and 204 men). The other 312 individuals without any symptoms of osteoarthritis or signs in the radiographs (156 women and 156 men) were considered as healthy controls. After obtaining the DNA of patients and control group, genotypes of the ADAMTS5 gene polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction enzyme digestion (HAEIII for P692L in exon 7 and BSRBI for R614H in exon 5). The numbers of patients with different OA subtypes were also calculated. The genotype and allele frequency of for the exon 5C/T BSRBI polymorphism was significantly different between OA patients and control individuals (P = 0.001, OR = 0.701, 95 % CI = 0.569–0.863). This difference was more obvious in cervical OA patients (P = 0.001, OR = 0.664, 95 % CI = 0.521–0.847). The mutation type of exon 5C/T BSRBI polymorphism would be a protective factor for OA especially for cervical OA. Our results suggest that the ADAMTS5 gene polymorphisms may contribute to the susceptibility of osteoarthritis in the Chinese Han population.     

Association of (-1,607) 1G/2G polymorphism of matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene with knee osteoarthritis in the Turkish population (knee osteoarthritis and MMPs gene polymorphisms)

The aim of this study was to investigate whether functional polymorphisms in the promoter of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes were associated with susceptibility to knee osteoarthritis in the Turkish population. The MMP-1 −1,607 1G/2G (rs1799750), MMP-2 −1,306 C/T (rs243865), and MMP-9 −1,562 C/T (rs3918242) polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay in 157 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis based on the criteria of American College of Rheumatology and in 84 controls in Mersin, Turkey. Genotype distributions and allele frequencies of MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 gene polymorphisms were compared between the patients and controls. There were significant differences between the groups regarding the genotype distribution of MMP-1 polymorphism (P  = 0.001). The frequencies of 1G/1G and 1G/2G genotypes were significantly higher in the knee osteoarthritis than in the controls (P = 0.002, and P =  0.006, respectively). In addition, 1G allele frequency of MMP-1 gene was higher in the patients than in the control group (P = 0.0001). The genotype distributions and allele frequencies of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene polymorphisms did not differ between the osteoarthritis and the control groups (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that the −1,607 1G/2G polymorphism in the MMP-1 gene may contribute to susceptibility to knee osteoarthritis in the Turkish population.     

Lower serum concentration of matrix metalloproteinase-3 in the acute stage of myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES: The importance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the progression and rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque is gaining increasing recognition but the mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of MMP-3 in the acute phase of myocardial infarction (MI) and the influence of the -1612 5A/6A MMP-3 gene promoter polymorphism on serum MMP-3 concentration. SUBJECTS: One-hundred and sixty-four patients admitted with ST-elevation MI and receiving thrombolysis treatment were included in this study. Serum MMP-3 was analysed at admission, after 48 h and at 3 months. RESULTS: Serum MMP-3 concentration was significantly increased at 3 months when compared with admission and 48 h (19.5 ng mL(-1) [14.4-24.7] vs. 15.5 ng mL(-1) [10.5-21.8] at admission, P < 0.001; and 14.7 ng mL(-1) [9.9-23.8] at 48 h, P < 0.001). Furthermore, we found the -1612 5A/6A polymorphism to influence the serum concentration of MMP-3 at all time-points: 14.1 ng mL(-1) [10.2-18.8] in 5A/5A; 19.6 ng mL(-1) [15.0-24.4] in 5A/6A; and 24.0 ng mL(-1) [20.1-32.3] in 6A/6A genotype at 3 months (P < 0.001 between all groups). Female patients had lower serum MMP-3 concentration than male patients at all time-points (14.8 ng mL(-1) [9.4-20.8] vs. 19.9 ng mL(-1) [16.0-26.9], P < 0.0001 at 3 months). CONCLUSIONS: Serum concentration of MMP-3 is significantly lower in the acute stage of MI than during recovery and is significantly influenced by -1612 5A/6A genotype and gender. Together with previous findings, these results primarily implicate MMP-3 in atherosclerosis progression rather than in acute MI.     

Association of cytosine–adenine repeat polymorphism of the estrogen receptor-β gene with rheumatoid arthritis symptoms

The influence of the polymorphism of the estrogen receptor-β gene, cytosine–adenine (CA) dinucleotide repeat in intron 6, in the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was investigated. Forty-seven RA patients and 36 control subjects with osteoarthritis (OA) were recruited. CA repeat polymorphism was examined using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (WAVE^® DNA Fragment Analysis System). The mean number of CA repeats was significantly higher in RA than in OA patients. Two groups were established: ≤21 repeats (short S), ≥22 repeats (long L); and 3 kinds of genotypes (SS, SL, LL) were found. In RA patients, the L allele frequency was higher (OR = 2.03; P ≤ 0.05 Fisher’s test) and more subjects carried the LL genotype (OR = 5.50; P ≤ 0.05 Fisher’s test) compared to OA patients. It was concluded that the presence of the L allele could be a risk factor for RA, although additional larger scale study is needed.     

A SMAD3 gene polymorphism is related with osteoarthritis in a Northeast Chinese population

Variants in the SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3) have recently been reported to be associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in European populations. However, the results are contestable. To assess the role of such variants in SMAD3 in OA susceptibility in peripheral joints OA, we conducted a case–control study in a Northeast Chinese population. The SMAD3 SNP was genotyped in patients who had primary symptomatic OA with radiographic confirmation and clinical symptom and in controls, and the associations were examined. A total of 111 knee OA patients, 121 hand OA patients and 236 controls were genotyped. Statistically significant difference was detected in genotype and allele frequencies between OA and control groups in the population. There were significant association for knee OA OR = 3.68 (95 % CI 2.03–6.70; p < 0.001) and for hand OA OR = 3.60 (95 % CI 2.01, 6.44; p < 0.001). The association was also positive even after stratification by sex except for male population of knee OA. Our data indicated that genetic variation in the SMAD3 gene is involved in pathogenesis of both knee OA and hand OA in Northeast Chinese population, which is consistent with in European populations.     

Prevalence of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion-deletion polymorphism in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) plays an important role in a number of inflammatory and immune related disorders. This study was undertaken to investigate an association between Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion- deletion (I/D) polymorphism and primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) in Kuwait and to explore a correlation between clinical subgroups of OA and ACE I/D polymorphism genotypes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The prevalence of ACE gene I/D polymorphism was determined in 115 patients with primary knee OA and 111 ethnically matched healthy controls by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the genomic DNA. The association of ACE gene I/D polymorphism genotypes was also studied with age of disease onset, function and radiological grading. RESULTS: No significant difference was detected in the frequency of ACE gene I/D polymorphism genotypes and alleles between knee OA patients and the controls. The frequency of ACE gene polymorphism genotypes was also studied in subgroups on the basis of clinical parameters of age of onset of disease, function and radiological grading and no significant difference was detected between subgroups of OA patients and the controls. This is in sharp contrast to a previous report from Korea in which a significant association has been reported between ACE gene polymorphism and knee OA. CONCLUSION: This study did not find an association between ACE gene I/D polymorphism genotypes in Kuwaiti patients with primary knee osteoarthritis and the onset or severity of the disease, which is very different from Korean knee OA patients in which an association has been reported.     

基质金属蛋白酶-3基因启动子5A/6A多态性与高血压病的关系

目的探讨基质金属蛋白酶-3(MMP-3)基因启动子-1171(5A/6A)多态性对兰州地区汉族人群高血压病发病的可能影响。方法采用限制性片段长度多态性分析技术,检测高血压病患者(高血压病组,104例)和正常者(对照组,102例)MMP-3基因启动子SNP-1171(5A/6A)基因型的分布。结果高血压病组与对照组MMP-3基因型分布差异无统计学意义,按性别分组比较两组男性、女性之间差异均无统计学意义(P<0.05),Logistic回归分析发现男性50岁以下病例组与对照组比较差异有统计学意义(P=0.013)。并且患高血压的危险性将增加5.97倍。不同血压分级之间基因型分布和等位基因频率比较无差异(分别为P=0.950,P=0.885)。结论MMP-3基因启动子-1171(5A/6A)多态性对高血压病发病的影响与性别年龄有关,与血压水平无关。     

Apoptosis-related Fas and FasL gene polymorphisms’ associations with knee osteoarthritis

To investigate the associations between Fas and FasL gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to knee osteoarthritis. Genomic DNA was obtained from 146 patients with knee osteoarthritis and 102 healthy controls. Genotype distributions and allelic frequencies of four polymorphisms of Fas (-670 G>A rs1800682, -1377 G>A rs2234767) and FasL (IVS2nt-124 A>G rs5030772, -844 T>C rs763110) genes were compared between the groups. Thereafter, this association was investigated between patients and controls of the same sex. There were significant differences between patients with knee osteoarthritis and controls regarding the genotype distributions and allelic frequencies of Fas-1377 G>A polymorphism (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.005, respectively). The Fas-1377 GG genotype and G allele were significantly more frequent in patients with knee osteoarthritis than in controls. Genotype distributions and allelic frequencies of Fas-670 G>A, FasL-844 T>C, and FasL IVS2nt-124 A>G polymorphisms did not differ between the groups (P > 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between patients and controls of the same sex (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that the Fas-1377 G>A polymorphism in the Fas gene related with apoptosis may contribute to susceptibility to knee osteoarthritis in the Turkish population. There is a need for further studies to evaluate the role of apoptosis in large cohorts.     

Measurement of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) in patients with knee osteoarthritis: comparison with generalized osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) between patients with knee osteoarthritis and normal subjects, to investigate whether the degree of knee joint involvement is related to those measurements, and to compare patients with and without generalized osteoarthritis. METHODS: Eighty-three women with knee osteoarthritis (OA patients) were studied. Plasma levels of MMP-3, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured by enzyme immunoassays. Knee and hand radiographs were taken of all patients. The joints of the knee and hand were graded from 0 to 4 according to Kellgren and Lawrence criteria. All OA patients were divided into a generalized OA (GOA) group (n = 37) and a knee OA (KOA) group (n = 46) according to Doherty's criteria. MMPs and TIMP were also measured in 19 normal subjects. RESULTS: Plasma levels of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 were significantly higher in OA patients than in normal subjects. In contrast, MMP-9 was lower in OA patients than in normal subjects. Plasma levels of MMP-3 and MMP-9 were not influenced by the grade of knee OA. TIMP-1 was influenced by the grade of knee OA. Plasma levels of MMP-3 were significantly elevated in GOA compared to KOA. In contrast, there were no significant differences in plasma levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 between GOA and KOA. CONCLUSION: Since the plasma level of MMP-3 in GOA was higher than that in KOA patients, it may be a superior indicator for whole-joint degeneration.     

Genotype-phenotype association of matrix metalloproteinase-3 polymorphism and its synergistic effect with smoking on the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome

Matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) degrades the extracellular matrix and may contribute to the weakening of the plaque cap. To determine whether genotype-phenotype associations differed in different categories of acute coronary syndrome, we enrolled 650 consecutive Taiwanese patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. Genotypic analysis was done on DNA using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing on the 5 adenines (5A)/6 adenines (6A; -1,171 bp) polymorphism in the MMP-3 gene promoter region. The frequency of the 5A polymorphism was higher in patients with acute coronary syndrome, especially in those with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (p <0.01). The number of 5A allele polymorphisms was strongly associated with more complex coronary angiography (diffuse score for 5A/5A vs 5A/6A vs 6A/6A, 6.6 +/- 1.2 vs 5.3 +/- 1.3 vs 4.6 +/- 1.1, all p values <0.05 in subgroup analysis) and higher plasma MMP-3 activity in this acute coronary syndrome cohort (MMP-3 level for 6A/6A vs 5A/6A vs 5A/5A, 21.0 +/- 2.2 vs 23.3 +/- 2.1 vs 27.9 +/- 2.2 ng/ml, all p values <0.05 in subgroup analysis). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that this polymorphism, in addition to hypertension, diabetes, and a history of smoking, was an independent risk factor (odds ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 4.3, p = 0.02) for the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome. Further, carriers of this polymorphism who smoked had a significantly increased (20-fold) risk of acute coronary syndrome compared with nonsmoking noncarriers. In conclusion, the MMP-3 5A/6A polymorphism is significantly associated with the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome, MMP-3 activity, and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. There is a synergistic effect between smoking and this genetic risk factor for acute coronary syndrome.     

Wnt-related genes and large-joint osteoarthritis: association study and replication

Osteoarthritis (OA) has a strong genetic component, and experimental evidence suggests the involvement of the Wnt pathway in its pathogenesis. Hence, we explored the association of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to the Wnt pathway with hip and knee OA. Seventy-eight SNPs were analyzed in 606 patients undergoing joint replacement and in 680 control subjects. SNPs were located in WNT1, WNT10A, WNT16, DVL2, FZD5, BCL9, SFRP1, TCF7L1 and SFRP4 genes. SNPs significantly associated with OA were genotyped in an independent group of 369 patients and 407 controls. One SNP in WNT10A, rs3806557, was associated with hip OA in men (OR 0.65, 95 % CI 0.46–0.93; p = 0.017), but the association was not confirmed in the replication phase. The TCF7L1 polymorphism rs11547160 was also associated with hip OA in the discovery set, but not in the replication set. Similarly, the SFRP4 SNP rs1052981 was associated with knee OA in women with OR of 2.73 (95 % CI 1.29–5.8; p = 0.006), but the association was not replicated. The BCL9 polymorphism rs2353525 was associated with knee OA in women, both in the unadjusted and in the age- and BMI-adjusted analysis (OR 2.01; 95 % CI 1.34–2.98; p = 0.0006). A similar, but not statistically significant, trend was observed in the replication phase. In the combined analysis, OR was 3.13 (1.34–7.28; p = 0.009). These data suggest that some SNPs of genes related to the Wnt pathway and, specifically BCL9, influence the genetic predisposition to osteoarthritis of the large joints in a sex- and joint-specific way.     

Sex and ethnic differences in the association of ASPN, CALM1, COL2A1, COMP, and FRZB with genetic susceptibility to osteoarthritis of the knee

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the association of genetic polymorphisms with osteoarthritis (OA) in other populations could be replicated in a large, multicenter, mixed-sex, case-control study of clinical knee OA. METHODS: Genetic polymorphisms in OA candidate genes were genotyped in 298 men and 305 women, ages 50-86 years, all of whom had a diagnosis of knee OA as assessed clinically and radiographically, and in 300 male and 299 female control subjects matched for age and ethnicity. Allele and haplotype frequencies for 5 genes (ASPN, CALM1, COL2A1, COMP, and FRZB) previously tested for association with hip and/or knee OA in other populations were compared between patients and control subjects, analyzing men and women separately. RESULTS: The same FRZB 2-marker single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype associated with hip OA in other populations of Caucasian women was shown to increase the risk of knee OA among the women (but not the men) in the current study (odds ratio [OR] 2.87, P < 0.04). The CALM1 SNP, which affects the risk of hip OA in Japanese individuals, was not shown to be associated with susceptibility to OA in men or women. COL2A1 haplotypes were demonstrated to be associated with a decreased risk of knee OA in men (OR 0.68, P < 0.005) but not in women. COMP haplotypes that were associated with susceptibility to knee OA were different in men and women (P < 0.014 and P < 0.032, respectively). A meta-analysis of these data and those from previously published reports indicated a strong association between the FRZB G324 allele (P < 0.0003) and suggested that an ASPN allele is protective against the risk of knee OA in Caucasians (P < 0.02). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that genetic polymorphisms affecting knee OA vary between populations (Japanese versus Caucasian) and sexes and indicate a role for ASPN, COMP, FRZB, and COL2A1 in Caucasians.