T-CELL RECEPTOR-BETA CHAIN GENE POLYMORPHISMS IN GRAVES-DISEASE

Graves' disease, or subgroups of such patients with thyroglobulin antibodies or HLA-DR 3, have been associated with a restriction fragment length polymorphism of the T cell receptor beta chain constant region gene but not all studies are in agreement. We have examined 58 patients with Graves' disease and found no abnormal distribution of this polymorphism compared to 33 controls. There was also no significant association with the presence of thyroglobulin antibodies or HLA-DR 3, even when the results were pooled with previously collected data (N = 90 patients with TG antibody results and N = 128 patients with HLA-DR types). We also found no abnormal distribution of three polymorphisms of the T cell receptor beta chain variable region genes, using probes which span over 600 kb of this complex. These results argue against an association of these allelic variations of the T cell receptor beta chain with Graves' disease.