Molecular basis for increased susceptibility of Indigenous North Americans to seropositive rheumatoid arthritis.

Ann Rheum Dis
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenetic mechanisms by which alleles are associated with anticitrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)-positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are incompletely understood. RA high-risk alleles are known to share a common motif, the 'shared susceptibility epitope (SE)'. Here, the electropositive P4 pocket of HLA-DRB1 accommodates self-peptide residues containing citrulline but not arginine. HLA-DRB1 His/Phe13β stratifies with ACPA-positive RA, while His13βSer polymorphisms stratify with ACPA-negative RA and RA protection. Indigenous North American (INA) populations have high risk of early-onset ACPA-positive RA, whereby HLA-DRB1*04:04 and HLA-DRB1*14:02 are implicated as risk factors for RA in INA. However, HLA-DRB1*14:02 has a His13βSer polymorphism. Therefore, we aimed to verify this association and determine its molecular mechanism.

METHODS: HLA genotype was compared in 344 INA patients with RA and 352 controls. Structures of HLA-DRB1*1402-class II loaded with vimentin-64Arg, vimentin-64Cit and fibrinogen β-74Cit were solved using X-ray crystallography. Vimentin-64Cit-specific and vimentin-specific CD4+ T cells were characterised by flow cytometry using peptide-histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (pHLA) tetramers. After sorting of antigen-specific T cells, TCRα and β-chains were analysed using multiplex, nested PCR and sequencing.

RESULTS: ACPA RA in INA was independently associated with . Consequent to the His13βSer polymorphism and altered P4 pocket of HLA-DRB1*14:02, both citrulline and arginine were accommodated in opposite orientations. Oligoclonal autoreactive CD4+ effector T cells reactive with both citrulline and arginine forms of vimentin were observed in patients with HLA-DRB1*14:02 RA and at-risk ACPA first-degree relatives. HLA-DRB1*14:02-vimentin-specific and HLA-DRB1*14:02-vimentin-64Cit-specific CD4+ memory T cells were phenotypically distinct populations.

CONCLUSION: HLA-DRB1*14:02 broadens the capacity for citrullinated and native self-peptide presentation and T cell expansion, increasing risk of ACPA+ RA.

Year of Publication
2017
Journal
Ann Rheum Dis
Volume
76
Issue
11
Pages
1915-1923
Date Published
2017 11
ISSN
1468-2060
DOI
10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211300
PubMed ID
28801345
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