title: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-308 gene polymorphism in Croatian and Slovenian multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Previous findings regarding the role of TNF-alpha-308 gene polymorphism in multiple sclerosis (MS) are contradictory. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of TNF-alpha-308 polymorphism on MS susceptibility and the MS disease process in a Croatian and Slovenian population. Genotyping was performed in 338 patients and 460 healthy controls. The TNF2 allele was present in 123 (26.8%) healthy controls vs. 67 (19.9%) MS patients (p = 0.023, odds ratio = 0.68, 95% confidence interval = 0.48-0.95), suggesting that carriage of the TNF2 allele might decrease MS risk. The difference in TNF2 allele carrier frequency between patients and controls was identified in the relapsing-remitting MS group. There was no association between TNF2 allele carrier status and age at disease onset or disease progression. Our results suggest that, in the study populations, the TNF-alpha-308 polymorphism may play a role in MS susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia. ristics@medri.hr
authors.forename: Smiljana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ristić
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lovrecić
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Starcević-Cizmarević
authors.forename: Bojana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brajenović-Milić
authors.forename: Sasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sega Jazbec
authors.forename: Juraj
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sepcić
authors.forename: Miljenko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kapović
authors.forename: Borut
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peterlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017524:Slovenia; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha