MHC class I chain-related gene B (MICB) is associated with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility.

Objectives: Several recent studies have shown that the MHC class III region, located telomeric to HLA-DRB1, contains an additional genetic factor that predisposes to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we investigate whether inhibitor of kappaB-like (IkappaBL), MICB or MICA located in the MHC class III region are the second susceptibility gene associated with RA.

Methods: A total of 154 healthy controls and 140 RA patients were genotyped for HLA-DRB1, MICA, MICB and the polymorphism -62 of the IkappaBL gene.

Transcriptional regulation of ULBP1, a human ligand of the NKG2D receptor.

Tumor cells expressing ligands of the NKG2D receptor stimulate anti-tumor immunity mediated by natural killer and T cells. In humans, NKG2D ligands (NKG2DL) are encoded by MIC and ULBP proteins. NKG2DL exhibit highly restricted expression in healthy tissues but are widely expressed in tumors.

MHC class I chain-related gene B promoter polymorphisms and celiac disease.

The possibility that susceptibility to celiac disease (CD) might be influenced by the MHC class I chain-related gene family, MICA and MICB, has been previously reported. In this study, we analyzed the MICB promoter and examined the association of the polymorphisms found within such in a group of CD patients. To study the MICB promoter we sequenced the 5' flanking region of MICB gene in DNA from homozygous B-lymphoblastoid cell lines corresponding to the most frequent MICB alleles found in our population (MICB*00502, MICB*002, MICB*004, and MICB*008).