Frontiers in Neurology (May 2017)

The Role of Osteopontin and Its Gene on Glucocorticoid Response in Myasthenia Gravis

  • Yanchen Xie,
  • Yanchen Xie,
  • Hai-Feng Li,
  • Liang Sun,
  • Linda L. Kusner,
  • Linda L. Kusner,
  • Shuhui Wang,
  • Yunxiao Meng,
  • Xu Zhang,
  • Yu Hong,
  • Xiang Gao,
  • Yao Li,
  • Henry J. Kaminski,
  • Henry J. Kaminski,
  • Henry J. Kaminski

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2017.00230
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Biomarkers that assess treatment response for patients with the autoimmune disorder, myasthenia gravis (MG), have not been evaluated to a significant extent. We hypothesized the pro-inflammatory cytokine, osteopontin (OPN), may be associated with variability of response to glucocorticoids (GCs) in patients with MG. A cohort of 250 MG patients treated with standardized protocol of GCs was recruited, and plasma OPN and polymorphisms of its gene, secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), were evaluated. Mean OPN levels were higher in patients compared to healthy controls. Carriers of rs11728697*T allele (allele definition: one of two or more alternative forms of a gene) were more frequent in the poorly GC responsive group compared to the GC responsive group indicating an association of rs11728697*T allele with GC non-responsiveness. One risk haplotype (AGTACT) was identified associated with GC non-responsiveness compared with GC responsive MG group. Genetic variations of SPP1 were found associated with the response to GC among MG patients.

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