A Western blot and molecular genetic investigation of the estrogen receptor beta in giant cell arteritis.

• OBJECTIVE: The epidemiology of giant cell arteritis (GCA) may indicate a pathogenetic relationship between GCA and female sex hormone metabolism; GCA is two to four times more common in women compared with men. Our previous analyses gave no support for the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of GCA should be related to somatic mutations in the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) gene. The object of the present study was to investigate the size of the estrogen receptor beta (ERBeta), and the size and nucleotide sequence of the ERBeta gene in temporal arteries in GCA. METHODS: The ERBeta protein was analyzed by Western blot technique and the ERBeta gene by RT-PCR and direct sequencing of the PCR product. RESULTS: Western blot analysis revealed an ERBeta of normal size. There were no aberrations in size or nucleotide sequence in the ERBeta gene in the GCA patients. CONCLUSION: The present observations gave no support for the hypothesis that somatic mutations in the ERBeta gene should be involved in the pathogenesis of GCA.

Nyckelord

Aged

Aged

80 and over

Amino Acid Sequence

Blotting

Western

Estrogen Receptor beta

analysis

chemistry

genetics

physiology

Female

Humans

Male

Middle Aged

Mutation

genetics

Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Sex Characteristics

Temporal Arteries

chemistry

Temporal Arteritis

etiology

genetics

physiopathology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)