Chemokine C-C Motif Ligand 4 Gene Polymorphisms Associated with Susceptibility to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Chemokine C-C motif ligand 4 (CCL4) gene is a chemokine-encoding gene, and the polymorphism of CCL4 gene has been shown to predict risk of various diseases. We want to investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CCL4 gene can predict the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Between 2007 and 2015, we recruited 217 patients diagnosed with RA and 371 control participants. Comparative genotyping of the rs1634507, rs10491121, and rs1719153 SNPs was performed. When compared with participants with the A/A genotype of rs1719153, those with the A/T genotype were less likely to develop RA, as were those with the A/T+T/T genotype. The protective effect of the T-containing genotype was even more prominent among females. Those with A/T in rs1719153 were 56% less likely to develop RA compared with females with A/A; a similar protective effect was seen for females with the A/T+T/T genotype compared with those with A/A. The GTEx database revealed that patients carrying the T/T genotype had lower levels of CCL4 gene expression than those carrying the A/A genotype. These results indicate that the nucleotide T over the rs1719153 is associated with decreased CCL4 gene expression and decreased risk for RA.