A20 Promoter rs5029924 Concomitant with rs2230926 and rs5029937 May Be a Prognostic Predictor for Joint Deformity or Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis

Lihua Zhu,1,* Lingling Zhou,2,3,* Liang Wang,4,* Cunte Chen,2 Jie Qiao,1 Xinran Huang,1 Xiaoyan Su,1 Shaohua Chen,2 Bo Li,2 Xiuli Wu,2 Yangqiu Li2 1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yangqiu Li, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 20 85226877, Fax +86 20 85226877, Email yangqiuli@hotmail.com Lihua Zhu, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China, Email zhulihua20121113@163.comBackground: There have been several studies regarding the susceptibility of A20 gene SNPs (rs2230926 and rs5029937) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, little is known about the association between polymorphisms in the A20 promoter and RA. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of A20 promoter polymorphisms and the association between these polymorphisms and clinical significance in Chinese RA patients.Methods: PCR and sequencing were used to identify A20 gene polymorphisms in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 123 RA cases and 31 healthy individuals.Results: Only one SNP (rs5029924) in the A20 gene promoter was identified in RA patients and healthy individuals. 6 patients who carried heterozygous rs5029924 (3918C