[Association among serous and cerebrospinal fluid TNF-alpha level, gene polymorphisms of TNF-alpha and multiple sclerosis in Han nationality of southern China].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association among serous and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) TNF-alpha level, gene polymorphisms of TNF-alpha and multiple sclerosis (MS) in Han nationality of southern China.


METHODS
MS diagnosis was base on Poser (1983) criteria. Fifty-five patients with nonimmulogical diseases and 68 patients with MS from southern China were enrolled in the study, and their TNF-alpha level of serum and CSF were measured by double antibody sandwich ABC-ELISA. TNF-alpha -308G/A in 106 normal healthy subjects and 68 MS patients was genotyped with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.


RESULTS
There was significant difference in the serous TNF-alpha level between nonimmune patients and active MS patients (234+/- 76 pg/mL vs 276+/- 71 pg/mL, P< 0.05), but not in the CSF (245+/- 83 pg/mL vs 265+/- 78 pg/mL, P> 0.05). The gene frequency distribution of TNF-alpha -308G/A was corresponding with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The positive rate of genotype AA and the gene frequency of allele A of TNF-alpha were 4.4% and 14.0% in MS group, and 0 and 8.50% in healthy subjects, there was no statistical significance (P> 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The TNF-alpha level in serum is associated with active MS, but not in the CSF. The gene polymorphisms of TNF-alpha -308G/A is not associated with MS in Han nationality of southern China.
Dong
Ya-xian
YX
Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, P. R. China. yaxiandong@yahoo.com.cn
Xu
Zhi-rong
ZR
Lin
Pei-yu
PY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha