title: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene polymorphism in alopecia areata.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) phenotypes of two polymorphic systems were determined in 50 patients with alopecia areata, a common inflammatory disease of the skin. The distribution of TNF-alpha T1, T2 phenotypes differed between patients with the patchy form of disease and patients with totalis/universalis disease. There was no significant difference in the distribution of TNF-alpha G,A phenotypes between patient groups. The results of this study provide evidence of genetic heterogeneity between the two forms of alopecia areata, and suggest that the TNF-alpha gene or a closely linked locus within the major histocompatibility complex may play a role in the pathogenesis of the patchy form of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Galbraith
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pandey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha