title: Prevalence of two tumor necrosis factor gene polymorphisms in premature infants with early onset sepsis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a central mediator of sepsis. The NcoI polymorphism within the TNF locus has been described as a prognostic marker for mortality in adult patients with sepsis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to investigate the genotype and allele distribution of 2 TNF gene polymorphisms in preterm infants <32 weeks of gestational age, who developed early-onset sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A double-blinded retrospective cohort study was carried out on stored Guthrie blood spot cards with group A including 67 premature infants <32 weeks of gestational age with proven early-onset sepsis and group B including 102 healthy newborn infants (>32 + 0 weeks of gestation). The genotype andallele distribution of the study population were also compared to reference groups of healthy adult volunteers (n = 252 for TNF-beta NcoI and n = 233 for -308 TNF-alpha promoter). Polymorphisms of the TNF-alpha promoter -308 region and the NcoI site of the TNF-beta gene were assessed using PCR followed by melting curve analysis or NcoI digestion. The groups were compared by estimation of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall allele frequency and genotype distribution of the -308 TNF-alpha and NcoI polymorphism of the TNF-beta gene were comparable to the values found in the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study results suggest that none of the analyzed TNF gene polymorphisms may serve as a prognostic marker for preterm infants at high risk of sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Schueller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heep
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kattner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kroll
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wisbauer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartmann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stuber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha