[Study on the association between gestational diabetes mellitus and tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism].
OBJECTIVE
To study allelic frequency of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of Han ethnicity in north China and to determine whether there is a specific allele of TNF-alpha associated with GDM susceptibility.


METHODS
By using PCR-RFLP, we detected the distribution of TNF-alpha promoter alleles frequency in GDM women and control normal pregnant women. Plasma TNF-alpha levels and insulin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
(1) There was a significant increase of A alleles frequency of TNF-alpha promoter -308 gene in GDM women compared with control group (61.4% vs 30.0%, P < 0.05) and an increase of the AA + GA genotype was observed in GDM group (71.4% vs 37.1%, P < 0.05). (2) In GDM group, the patients carrying the AA + GA genotype had higher plasma TNF-alpha levels (52 +/- 13 vs 14 +/- 4, P < 0.05) and a lower insulin sensitivity (13.6 +/- 6.5 vs 1.9 +/- 0.2, P < 0.05) compared with those carrying the other genotype (GG).


CONCLUSIONS
The 308 G-->A polymorphism of TNF-alpha promoter gene is involved in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and gestational diabetes mellitus.
Chang
Ying
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China.
Niu
Xiu-min
XM
Qi
Xiao-mei
XM
Zhang
Hui-ying
HY
Li
Nai-jun
NJ
Luo
Ying
Y
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
D007328:Insulin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha