Abstract | OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement of human endogenous retrovirus K18 (HERV-K18) in osteoarthritis (OA), by genotyping the HERV-K18 env locus in OA patients and controls, and analysing HERV-K18 RNA expression and its association with OA risk and clinical variables. METHOD: We recruited 558 patients with symptomatic OA and 600 controls. We performed the genotyping by TaqMan assays and the analysis of expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Scores on the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), the Lequesne index, and the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire ( HAQ) were analysed with regard to the expression levels of HERV-K18. RESULTS: The 18.3 haplotype tended towards an association with OA risk and concordantly this haplotype was associated with a higher HERV-K18 expression (p = 0.05). We found statistically significant differences when we compared the scores on the WOMAC, the Lequesne index for knee and hip, and the HAQ between OA patients with higher expression [normalization ratio (NR) > 10] and OA patients without HERV-K18 expression (p = 0.0003, 0.0005, 0.002, and 0.05, respectively), and also when the comparison was made between OA patients with higher expression (NR > 10) and OA patients with low expression of HERV-K18 (NR = 1) for the WOMAC and the Lequesne index for knee and hip (p = 0.002, 0.013, and 0.006, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We found an association between health status measurement systems and severity index for OA and the levels of expression of HERV-K18. These results suggest the possible involvement of HERV-K18 in the aetiopathogenesis of the disease.
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Authors | M Garcia-Montojo, J Varade, E Villafuertes, B de La Hera, J Hoyas-Fernandez, M I Domínguez-Mozo, L Rodriguez-Rodriguez, P Tornero-Esteban, A Arias-Leal, L León, J R Lamas, R Alvarez-Lafuente, E Urcelay, B Fernandez-Gutierrez |
Journal | Scandinavian journal of rheumatology
(Scand J Rheumatol)
Vol. 42
Issue 6
Pg. 498-504
( 2013)
ISSN: 1502-7732 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 23662747
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- ERVK-18 protein, human
- Membrane Proteins
- Superantigens
- RNA
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Topics |
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Case-Control Studies
- Female
- Genotype
- Haplotypes
(genetics)
- Humans
- Male
- Membrane Proteins
(genetics, metabolism)
- Middle Aged
- Osteoarthritis, Hip
(epidemiology, genetics, metabolism)
- Osteoarthritis, Knee
(epidemiology, genetics, metabolism)
- RNA
(metabolism)
- Severity of Illness Index
- Spain
(epidemiology)
- Superantigens
(genetics, metabolism)
- Surveys and Questionnaires
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