Dog MHC alleles containing the human RA shared epitope confer susceptibility to canine rheumatoid arthritis

• Published in: Immunogenetics (New York) 2001-10, Vol.53 (8), p.669-673
• Main Authors: Ollier, W E, Kennedy, L J, Thomson, W, Barnes, A N, Bell, S C, Bennett, D, Angles, J M, Innes, J F, Carter, S D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alleles; Amino Acid Motifs; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - genetics; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - immunology; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - veterinary; Complementarity Determining Regions - chemistry; Complementarity Determining Regions - genetics; Dogs; Epitopes - chemistry; Epitopes - genetics; Gene Frequency; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; histocompatibility antigen DLA; Humans; Major Histocompatibility Complex - genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Odds Ratio; Sequence Homology
• ISSN: 0093-7711; 1432-1211
• DOI: 10.1007/s002510100372

To determine whether canine rheumatoid arthritis (CRA) is associated with dog MHC (DLA-DRB1) alleles which contain the QRRAA/RKRAA conserved third hypervariable region (3HVR) sequence, DNA samples were extracted from 61 dogs with clinically diagnosed small-joint polyarthritis and from 425 controls. Breed-matched controls were available for 41 cases. DLA-DRB1 genotypes were identified using molecular typing methods. Phenotype frequencies were compared between cases and controls and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals calculated. Several DLA-DRB1 alleles were associated with increased risk for CRA: DLA-DRB1*002, DRB1*009, and DRB1*018. This was also observed for the presence of any shared epitope (SE)-bearing allele. The associations with DLA-DRB1*002 and the SE were maintained when only breed-matched cases and controls were compared. This study suggests that a conserved amino acid motif in the 3HVR present in some DRB1 alleles of both dogs and humans is associated with rheumatoid arthritis in both species.