Study of a restriction fragment length polymorphism for serum amyloid P gene in rheumatoid arthritis with amyloidosis.

Abstract

Amyloidosis is a severe complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using MspI for the serum amyloid P gene was recently found to be associated with amyloidosis in juvenile arthritis. The aim of our study was to determine whether this RFLP could serve as a genetic marker for the development of secondary amyloidosis in RA. The prevalence of this marker was determined in 4 groups of patients: patients with amyloidosis secondary to RA; with amyloidosis secondary to various diseases excluding RA; with RA but without amyloidosis; adult controls without any known disease related to reactive amyloidosis. No significant differences were seen between these 4 groups with relation to this polymorphism, so that it cannot serve as a genetic marker for amyloidosis complicating RA in our population.