Article Text
Abstract
Objective: To identify the position of a gout susceptibility gene.
Methods: A genome-wide scan was performed using 382 random polymorphic microsatellite markers spread across 22 autosomes in a Taiwanese family with gout to screen for the gout susceptibility genetic marker. Its association with gout by 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 148 matched case–control subjects was confirmed. The family with gout comprised eight patients with gout and 10 gout-free subjects; case–control subjects were 74 male patients with gout and 74 healthy controls matched by age.
Results: Analysis of the genome-wide scan results by a non-parametric linkage method found that chromosome 4q21 contains a locus significantly linked with gout (D4S3243 at 81 289 553 bp; p = 0.004; LOD score = 5.13). In SNP genotyping analysis at the neighbourhood regions of marker D4S3243 for the case–control subjects, the polymorphisms rs7688672 and rs6837293, located on the cGMP-dependent protein kinase II (cGK II) gene, were found to relate significantly to gout disease in a recessive model after adjustment of hyperuricaemia (OR = 2.89, 95% CI 1.19 to 7.02 and OR = 2.72, 95% CI 1.13 to 6.54, respectively).
Conclusions: This study suggests that the cGK II gene on chromosome 4q21 is most likely to harbour gout disease independently of hyperuricaemia and is inherited recessively.