Lack of association between the promoter polymorphisms at positions -308 and -238 of the tumor necrosis factor alpha gene and psoriasis vulgaris in Japanese patients.
BACKGROUND
Psoriasis features an increased level and activity of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). The TNF-alpha gene has single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions -308 (-308G>A) and -238 (-238G>A) in the promoter region, and the -238G>A SNP has been reported to be associated with psoriasis vulgaris (PV) and psoriatic arthritis in Caucasians.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether these SNPs are associated with susceptibility to PV in Japanese patients, we investigated the genotype and allele frequencies at each SNP in Japanese PV patients and in controls.


METHODS
We examined 163 PV patients and 96 healthy individuals. Genotyping was performed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.


RESULTS
No significant association between the genotypes or alleles of these SNPs and susceptibility to PV was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
These SNPs themselves are not associated with susceptibility to PV in the Japanese.
Tsunemi
Yuichiro
Y
Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. ytsun-tky@umin.ac.jp
Nishibu
Akiko
A
Saeki
Hidehisa
H
Oyama
Noritaka
N
Nakamura
Koichiro
K
Kishimoto
Megumi
M
Mitsui
Hiroshi
H
Tada
Yayoi
Y
Torii
Hideshi
H
Komine
Mayumi
M
Asahina
Akihiko
A
Kaneko
Fumio
F
Tamaki
Kunihiko
K
D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha