AUTHOR=Xie Yanchen , Li Hai-Feng , Sun Liang , Kusner Linda L. , Wang Shuhui , Meng Yunxiao , Zhang Xu , Hong Yu , Gao Xiang , Li Yao , Kaminski Henry J. 

TITLE=The Role of Osteopontin and Its Gene on Glucocorticoid Response in Myasthenia Gravis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2017.00230

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2017.00230

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=<p>Biomarkers that assess treatment response for patients with the autoimmune disorder, myasthenia gravis (MG), have not been evaluated to a significant extent. We hypothesized the pro-inflammatory cytokine, osteopontin (OPN), may be associated with variability of response to glucocorticoids (GCs) in patients with MG. A cohort of 250 MG patients treated with standardized protocol of GCs was recruited, and plasma OPN and polymorphisms of its gene, secreted phosphoprotein 1 (<italic>SPP1</italic>), were evaluated. Mean OPN levels were higher in patients compared to healthy controls. Carriers of rs11728697*T allele (allele definition: one of two or more alternative forms of a gene) were more frequent in the poorly GC responsive group compared to the GC responsive group indicating an association of rs11728697*T allele with GC non-responsiveness. One risk haplotype (AGTACT) was identified associated with GC non-responsiveness compared with GC responsive MG group. Genetic variations of <italic>SPP1</italic> were found associated with the response to GC among MG patients.</p>