1. ¹Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
2. ²Department of Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
3. ³Department of Medicine, Division of First Cardiovascular, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
4. ⁴Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

Correspondence: Dr J-Y Chen, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, No. 5, Fu-Shin St Kuei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 333, Republic of China. E-mail: jychen31@adm.cgmh.org.tw; Dr J Wu, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Shelby 202, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294-2182, USA. E-mail: jmwu@uab.edu

Received 28 April 2008; Revised 16 June 2008; Accepted 18 June 2008; Published online 17 July 2008.

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to determine whether the FcRIIb 187-Ile/Thr polymorphism is a predisposition factor for subtypes of RA defined by disease severity and production of autoantibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCPs) in Taiwanese RA patients. Genotype distributions and allele frequencies of FcRIIb 187-Ile/Thr were compared between 562 normal healthy controls and 640 RA patients as stratified by clinical parameters and autoantibodies. Significant enrichment of 187-Ile allele was observed in RA patients positive for anti-CCP antibodies as compared with the anti-CCP negative RA patients (P=0.001, OR 1.652 (95% CI 1.210–2.257)) or as compared with the normal controls (P=0.005, OR 1.348 (95% CI 1.092–1.664)). In addition, 187-Ile allele was found to be enriched in RA patients positive for rheumatoid factor (RF) compared to the RF negative RA patients (P=0.024, OR 1.562 (95% CI 1.059–2.303)). Furthermore, the homozygotes were enriched in destructive male RA patients (P=0.035; OR 2.038 (95% CI 1.046–3.973)) and the 187-Ile allele was associated with early-onset of RA in Taiwanese patients (P=0.045, OR 1.548 (95% CI 1.007–2.379)). Thus, FcRIIb SNP 187-Ile/Thr may influence the RA phenotypes in Taiwanese RA.