Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in japanese psoriasis patients

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a dioxin receptor that activates the differentiation of T helper 17 (Th17) cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells to produce interleukin-22 (IL-22). In whole exome sequence analysis, we found two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AHR, rs2074113 and rs2066853. In addition, we investigated the correlation between these AHR SNPs and susceptibility to psoriasis in 185 patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV) and 145 healthy controls by using TaqMan® SNP Genotyping assays. For rs2074113, in both groups the frequency of the G allele was 0.59 and that of the T allele was 0.41. For rs2066853, in both groups the frequency of the A allele was 0.42 and that of the G allele was 0.58. Thus both allele frequencies in both groups were not significantly different and therefore the frequency of AHR SNPs and susceptibility to PV were not correlated. However, in a comparison of HLA-C^* 06:02-positive and -negative patients, rs2066853 AA homozygotes were significantly decreased in HLA-C^* 06:02-positive PV patients compared to HLA- C^* 06:02-negative PV patients after Bonferroni correction. These observations suggested that AHR rs2066853 may be a protective gene for psoriasis in the Japanese population.

aryl hydrocarbon receptor

psoriasis vulgaris

single nucleotide polymorphism

disease susceptibility to psoriasis