title: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism in psoriasis.
abstract: Psoriasis, an inflammatory autoimmune disease, is characterized by increased level and activity of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in affected lesions. Two promoter region polymorphisms of the TNF-alpha locus--one at position -308 and the other at -238--were examined in 99 Caucasian patients (64 with type I and 35 with type II psoriasis) and in 123 controls. A highly significant difference in the distribution of the -238 polymorphism--the TNF (G,A) genotypes--was detected between the type I psoriasis patients and controls: compared to the controls, the frequency of the homozygous TNF-G genotype was decreased (55 vs. 91%; p = 0.0000000274; corrected p = 0.0000001644; odds ratio = 0.12), whereas that of TNF-G,A heterozygotes was increased (41 vs. 8%; p = 0.000000264; corrected p = 0.000001584; odds ratio = 7.73) in patients. No significant differences were observed in the distribution of the TNF-A homozygotes. These results suggest that homozygosity of the G allele is associated with a lower relative risk (resistance), whereas heterozygosity at this locus is associated with an increased risk (susceptibility) of type I psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-2230, USA.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Eiermann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sterry
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pandey
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha