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Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). To investigate the role of TGF-β1 gene polymorphisms in SSc, we genotyped six biallelic polymorphic positions (position -988, -800, and -509; and codons 10, 25, and 263) in 61 Korean SSc patients and in 148 healthy controls, using polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primers. Genetic polymorphisms were found at position -509 and codon 10 in Koreans. The allele frequencies of CIT at position -509 were 0.59/0.41 in patients and 0.56/0.44 in controls. The allele frequencies of CIT at codon 10 were 0.40/0.60 in patients and 0.50/0.50 in controls. In conclusion, no skewed distribution of TGF-β1 gene polymorphisms was found in Korean patients with SSc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Recently, autoantibodies directed against muscarinic type 3 receptor (M3R) have been reported in patients with primary SS. However, the precise epitope(s) of the M3R that interacts with SS autoantibodies remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the functional epitope of M3R which interacts with SS immunoglobulin G (IgG). Methods. Purified IgGs were obtained from the sera of seven SS patients (six primary and one secondary SS) and two normal persons. We examined whether SS IgG inhibits M3R function and identified the epitope using six synthetic peptides covering all the extracellular domains of M3R by microspectrofluorimetry and surface plasmon resonance-based optical biosensor system (BIAcore system). Results. A volume of 0.5 mg/ml SS IgG inhibited carbachol (CCh)-induced [Ca2+]i transient (CICT) in human submandibular gland (HSG) cells. However, co-incubation of SS IgG with the 6th peptide (514–527 amino acid region) corresponding to the third extracellular loop of M3R, recovered CICT. The result was further confirmed by BIAcore analysis. We found that the 6th peptide interacts with IgGs from three primary SS patients in a concentration-dependent manner. The synthetic peptide which consists of amino acids 228–237 corresponding to the COOH-terminus of the second extracellular loop of M3R also bound to SS IgG. However, normal IgGs did not interact with the 6th peptide. Conclusions. The results suggest that the third extracellular loop of M3R represents a functional epitope bound by SS IgG, and thereby partly inhibits M3R function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is prevalent among the elderly in Asian countries; however, the utilization of total knee replacement (TKR) is unknown. Using data from a national registry, we sought to estimate the incidence of TKR by age and sex, and the trend for TKR utilization from 2002 to 2005 in South Korea. Methods. Reimbursement records from all hospitals in South Korea were extracted from the Health Insurance Review Agency (HIRA) database. Records with both the procedure code corresponding to a TKR and the diagnosis code of knee OA were selected. We estimated the age- and sex-specific rates of TKR. To compare the rate of TKR between men and women, we calculated age-standardized risk ratios. A TKR registry from a single centre containing more clinical information was analysed, and the differences in the clinical features between men and women were compared. Results. From 2002 to 2005, 47 961 TKRs were performed in subjects over the age of 40 yrs due to OA. The rate of TKR has increased over the 4 yrs and was much higher in women than in men. Compared with men, the age-standardized rate ratios for TKR in women ranged from 7.4 to 8.0. The single-centre registry data revealed that there was no difference in age, disease duration and the Kellgren–Lawrence grade at the time of surgery between men and women. Conclusion. Using a national database, we found that the rate of TKR increased steadily from 2002 to 2005 in South Korea. The TKR rate in women was much higher than that in men. Risk factors that account for such disparity in TKR utilization need to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]