Ubiquitin Associated and SH3 Domain Containing B (UBASH3B) Gene Association with Behcet’s Disease in Iranian Population

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the possible association of UBASH3B gene rs4936742 (T > C) polymorphism with Behcet’s disease (BD) and posterior uveitis in BD.

Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-one patients with BD (51 Behcet’s posterior uveitis and 80 non-ocular Behcet’s patients) and 61 unrelated age-matched healthy individuals as a control group without any inflammatory disease were selected. All BD cases were under follow-up and treatment in uveitis or rheumatology clinics for at least 5 years. All research subjects, including control individuals, received a comprehensive rheumatologic evaluation. All patients and controls were genotyped for UBASH3B rs4936742 (T > C) polymorphism by PCR-RFLP technique.

Results: The observed frequencies of genotypes were significantly different among patients and controls (19.7% versus 30.5% for TT, OR = 2.9, P = 0.011 and 36.1% versus 45.8% for CT, OR = 2.38, P = 0.017). Frequencies of T allele showed significantly higher values in Behcet’s patients (OR = 1.9, P = 0.004). Subgroup genotypic and allelic analyses disclosed no significant difference between Behcet’s posterior uveitis and control groups, neither between Behcet’s posterior uveitis and non-ocular BD groups. However, genotypic and allelic analyses between non-ocular BD and control groups revealed statistically significant difference (36.3% versus 19.7% for TT, OR = 4.08, P = 0.003 and 43.8% versus 36.1% for CT, OR = 2.68, P = 0.018, 58.1% versus 37.7% for T allele, OR = 2.29, P = 0.001). Individuals carrying the TT genotype for UBASH3B were four times more likely to develop non-ocular BD than unaffected, control individuals.

Conclusion: Our results showed that the UBASH3B gene rs4936742 (T > C) polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of Behcet’s disease, especially non-ocular BD, in Iranian population. We could not find any susceptibility role of this genetic locus for posterior uveitis in Behcet’s disease.

KEYWORDS:

• Behcet’s disease
• UBASH3B
• polymorphism
• PCR-RFLP
• Iranian population

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participating patients.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.