Quantitative analyses of messenger RNA of human endogenous retrovirus in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract

Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) has emerged as a possible causative agent of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the role of HERV in the etiology of SLE, we performed quantitative analyses of messenger RNA (mRNA) of the HERV clone 4-1 in patients with SLE. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR; TaqMan methodology) were used in this experiment. The quantities of mRNA of the HERV clone 4-1 gag region in patients with SLE were significantly higher than in healthy controls, and the amounts of such mRNA in the patients were decreased by steroid treatment. These phenomena may be related to the production of viral components derived from HERV clone 4-1 and contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE; studies using a larger number of patients are required to confirm these points.