title: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha --G308A polymorphism in schizophrenia in a Finnish population.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine with functions in nerve cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. There are several studies showing that a TNF-alpha--G308A promoter polymorphism, which possibly affects TNF-alpha transcription, is associated with schizophrenia, although negative results also exist. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the TNF-alpha --G308A promoter polymorphism, the risk of schizophrenia, and the age of onset of schizophrenia, and the TNF-alpha -G308A polymorphism was therefore studied in 149 southern Finnish patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and in 393 healthy controls. The allele and genotype frequencies did not differ significantly between the patient and control groups (P=0.10 and 0.12, respectively), but the frequency of G/G homozygotes was statistically significantly higher in male patients than in male controls (chi(2)=5.03, d.f.=1, P=0.025) with an odds ratio of 2.00 (95% confidence interval: 1.08--3.70). No such difference was seen in female patients (P=0.79) or in the whole study group (P=0.064). The age of onset of schizophrenia did not differ significantly between the different TNF-alpha genotypes (ANOVA: F=0.45, P=0.64). In conclusion, we did not find a clear association between the TNF-alpha --G308A polymorphism and schizophrenia in the whole study group. However, TNF-alpha --G308A G/G homozygosity was modestly associated with schizophrenia in male patients.
authors.affiliation: South Karelia Central Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Valto Käkelän katu 14C/6, FIN-53130 Lappeenranta, Finland. kari.hanninen@ekshp.fi
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hänninen
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katila
authors.forename: Riikka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rontu
authors.forename: Kari M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hurme
authors.forename: Terho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehtimäki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha