title: Relationship between the tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNF-RII) gene polymorphism and sTNF-RII plasma levels in healthy controls and in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: To assess the relationship between tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNF-RII) gene polymorphisms and sTNFRII plasma levels in healthy blood donors (HBDs) and in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. 113 HBDs and 49 RA patients were genotyped for the T/G polymorphism in exon 6 of the TNF-RII gene. In the same cases, sTNF-RII plasma levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedure. sTNF-RII levels were higher in RA patients than in HBDs (p < 0.0001). No difference in sTNF-RII levels arose between RA patients on low oral doses of glucocorticoids versus those not taking glucocorticoids. In healthy controls, we observed lower levels of the sTNF-RII in carriers of the TT genotype compared to TG/GG genotype (p = 0.04). In RA there was the same behaviour between TT and TG/GG carriers, even though the difference was not statistically significant. When analyzing the correlation between sTNF-RII plasma levels and disease activity parameters, significant correlations were seen with disease activity score (r = 0.40, p = 0.01), swollen joint count (r = 0.38, p = 0.01), and tender joint count (r = 0.42, p = 0.01), but not with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.22, p = ns) nor with C-reactive protein (r = 0.14, p = NS). The correlation remained significant only in the RA subgroup carrying the TT genotype. Healthy donors carrying the TT genotype showed lower sTNF-RII plasma levels than carriers of the TG/GG genotypes, while in RA patients we observed only a trend.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, UCSC, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tolusso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gremese
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Torre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tomietto
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Ferraccioli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II