CC chemokine receptor 5 polymorphism in Italian patients with giant cell arteritis.

Objectives: To evaluate the potential role of CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)Δ32 polymorphism in the susceptibility to giant cell arteritis (GCA) in a cohort of Italian patients.

Methods: 176 consecutive Italian patients with biopsy-proven GCA and 180 healthy age- and sex-matched blood donors were molecularly genotyped for the CCR5Δ32 polymorphism.

Results: No statistically significant difference in the Δ32CCR5 allele frequency between GCA patients (5.1 %) and controls (2.8 %) was observed (p = 0.109). Carriers of the CCR5Δ32 allele (Δ32/Δ32 + CCR5/Δ32) were similarly represented in the two groups.

Conclusions: Our results do not support a role for the CCR5Δ32 polymorphism in determining susceptibility to GCA.