title: TNF-alpha -308G/A and IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphisms in the Turkish pediatric stroke patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Introduction: Stroke is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the pediatric age group. There is increasing evidence on the role of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the occurrence and outcome of stroke. These proinflammatory cytokines carry functional polymorphisms (IL-6 -174 G/C and TNF-alpha -308 G/A) in their promoter regions, affecting their transcription rate and plasma cytokine levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of these polymorphisms with the occurrence of stroke in the Turkish pediatric stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty six arterial stroke patients (aged between 0 and 14) and 83 healthy unrelated adult controls without personal or family history of stroke were investigated by PCR and restriction endonuclease analysis for IL-6 -174 G/C and TNF-alpha -308 G/A polymorphisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The allele distribution, allele frequencies, and combined distribution of genotypes for both polymorphisms did not differ significantly between control and patient groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two polymorphisms did not associate with the occurrence of stroke in our study group.
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine Division of Pediatric Molecular Pathology and Genetics, Cebeci, 06100, Ankara, Turkey. ckarahan@medicine.ankara.edu.tr
authors.forename: Zeynep Ceren
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Karahan
authors.forename: Gülhis
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deda
authors.forename: Tansu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sipahi
authors.forename: Atilla H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Elhan
authors.forename: Nejat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes