Association of FCRL3 rs7528684 polymorphism with risk of Hashimoto's thyroiditis in Iranian patients

Abstract Introduction Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disorder of thyroid gland characterized by loss of thyroid functions and structure. Accumulation of lymphocytes and other immune mediators is a preliminary step in HT development. Fc receptor-like (FCRL)-3 gene have recently shown a significant association with HT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the FCRL3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs7528684 and rs11264799, in Iranian patients with HT. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood of 322 individuals with HT and 302 healthy individuals. The FCRL3 gene rs7528684 and rs11264799 SNPs were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results We found that the rs7528684 SNP was statistically associated with risk of HT. In patients, the frequencies of CC genotype and C allele were significantly higher than healthy controls (CC vs. TT + CT, OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.57–3.46, p  Conclusions These data showed an association between FCRL3 CC genotype and C allele of rs7528684 SNP and susceptibility to HT, supporting the important role of FCRL3 variants in HT development.