A single-nucleotide polymorphism of CCL21 rs951005 T>C is associated with susceptibility of polymyositis and such patients with interstitial lung disease in a Chinese Han population.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to better understand the roles of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CCL21, ERBB3, and TERT genes region in the development of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), we explored the associations between SNPs in the mentioned three genes and IIMs susceptibility in a Chinese Han population. METHODS: Chinese polymyositis (PM) patients (n =291), dermatomyositis (DM) patients (n=526) and ethnically-matched healthy controls (n =968) were genotyped for the CCL21 region SNPs (rs951005 and rs2492358), ERBB3 (rs2292239 and rs11171739), and TERT (rs2853676 and rs10069690), by using the Sequenom MassArray system. RESULTS: Our study indicated strong allele and genotype associations between rs951005 (OR 1.65, 95%CI 1.18-2.30, Pc=0.015; Pc=0.041, respectively) in CCL21 gene and PM patients. Additionally, rs951005 was associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD) in PM patients (Pc =0.01), and was associated with PM patients in additive model. However, the Chinese Han PM/DM patients and controls had statistically similar frequencies of alleles, genotypes and different genetic models (additive, dominant, and recessive) of ERBB3 and TERT polymorphisms. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study to demonstrate that the CCL21 gene SNP (rs951005) might confer genetic predisposition to PM patients or such patients with ILD in a Chinese Han population.