Polymorphism of the human leukocyte antigen has been implicated in a number of autoimmune disorders including ageing. In the course of the present study, no association of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A1, B8, DR3 haplotype with a male Irish aged population, as previously reported, was observed. Two polymorphic nucleotides in the TNF cluster (G(/308A TNF-a and G'/252A TNF-b), associated with increased TNF-a production, were shown to be in tight linkage disequilibrium with the class I and II HLA loci, generating HLA haplotypes with extended linkage disequilibrium. However, no age-related allele or genotype frequencies were observed for either polymorphic nucleotide. #

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Background: Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a posttranslational modification of nuclear proteins catalysed by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), using NAD + as a substrate. Activation of PARP-1 is in immediate response to DNA damage generated by endogenous and exogenous damaging agents. It has been implicated in several crucial cellular processes including DNA repair and maintenance of genomic stability, which are both intimately linked with the ageing process. The measurement of cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity, defined as the amount of poly(ADPribose) produced under maximal stimulation, is therefore relevant for research on ageing, as well as for a variety of other scientific questions.

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