Objective
No clear consensus has been reached on the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) disease, especially when stratified by ANCA specificity and disease phenotypes.
Methods
A metaanalysis was conducted on the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism across 4 studies in 1399 white patients with ANCA disease and 9934 normal control subjects.
Results
Overall, metaanalysis showed a statistically significant association between the A allele and ANCA disease in all subjects (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.26–1.64, p < 0.00001), and stratification by disease category indicated the A allele was associated with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s; GPA; OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.35–2.20, p < 0.0001) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA; OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.08–2.15, p = 0.02) as compared to controls. However, when stratified by ANCA specificity, the association of the A allele was statistically evident among those with proteinase 3 (PR3) ANCA disease (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.25–2.430, p = 0.001), with the same trend but not statistically associated with myeloperoxidase ANCA disease (OR 1.94, 95% CI 0.64–5.85, p = 0.24). The marked associations were also demonstrated between this allele with lung (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.21–2.36, p = 0.002), ENT (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.45–2.84, p < 0.0001), skin (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.69–3.84, p < 0.0001), and peripheral neuropathy involvement (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.39–3.22, p = 0.0005).
Conclusion
The PTPN22 620W allele confers susceptibility to the occurrence and development of ANCA disease in whites, with specific evidence among subsets with GPA, MPA, and PR3 ANCA. (J Rheumatol First Release Dec 1 2014; doi:10.3899/jrheum.131430)