title: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism in reflux nephropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interstitial scarring contributes to the progression of renal failure in reflux nephropathy. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been implicated in the disease susceptibility and pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases promoting interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells. We evaluate the frequency of TNF-alpha gene polymorphism in patients with reflux nephropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Renal scarring was evaluated with technetium dimercapto-succinic acid renal scan. Genotyping was performed on 104 patients with reflux nephropathy and 30 controls for the TNF-alpha gene polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction and restriction digest. This polymorphism involved a guanidine to adenosine transition at position -308 and was designated as TNF1 (-308G) and TNF2 (-308A).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The allele frequencies of TNF1 and TNF2 were 18.8% and 81.2% in patients with reflux nephropathy and 76.7% and 23.3% in controls, respectively. The genotype distribution of TNF-alpha-AA was significantly higher (66.4% vs 10%, p <0.05), while the TNF-alpha-GG was lower (13.4% vs 60%, p <0.05) in patients with reflux nephropathy compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates for the first time the association of the cytokine TNF-alpha gene polymorphism in patients with reflux nephropathy. Our data suggest that patients with vesicoureteral reflux and TNF-alpha AA genotype may have increased susceptibility to reflux nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Children's Research Centre, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children and University College, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Solari
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ennis
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cascio
authors.forename: Prem
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D014718:Vesico-Ureteral Reflux / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha