Evaluation of PTPN22 polymorphisms and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease in Japanese patients

PURPOSE: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is an autoimmune disorder against melanocytes. Polymorphisms of the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 gene (PTPN22) have recently been reported to be associated with susceptibility to several autoimmune diseases. In this study, genetic susceptibility to VKH disease was investigated by screening for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PTPN22. METHODS: A total of 167 Japanese patients with VKH disease and 188 healthy Japanese controls were genotyped by direct sequencing methods for six SNPs (rs3811021, rs1217413, rs1237682, rs3761935, rs3789608, and rs2243471) of PTPN22 including the uncoding exons. RESULTS: The six SNPs in PTPN22 showed no significant association with susceptibility to VKH disease or its ocular, neurologic, or dermatological manifestation. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed to clarify the genetic mechanisms underlying VKH disease.