title: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-4 gene polymorphisms in Chinese patients with gout.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine whether polymorphisms of interleukin-4 (IL-4) (promoter-590 and intron 3) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) promoter-308 genes are markers of susceptibility to or clinical manifestations of gout in Taiwanese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 196 Taiwanese patients with gout and 103 unrelated healthy control subjects living in central Taiwan. Polymorphisms of the IL-4 (promoter-590 and intron 3) and TNF-alpha (promoter-308) genes were typed from genomic DNA. Allelic frequencies and carriage rates were then compared between gout patients and control subjects. The correlation between allelic frequencies, carriage rates and clinical manifestations of gout were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were observed in the allelic frequencies and carriage rates of the IL-4 (promoter-590 and intron 3) and TNF-alpha gene polymorphisms between patients with gout and healthy control subjects. Furthermore, the IL-4 (promoter-590 and intron 3) and TNF-alpha genotypes were not found to be associated with the clinical and laboratory profiles in gout patients. However, there was a significant difference in the TNF-alphapolymorphism genotype between patients with and without hypertriglyceridemia (P=0.001, xi2=11.47, OR=10.3, 95%CI=3.57-29.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study suggest that polymorphisms of the IL-4 (promoter-590 and intron 3) and TNF-alpha promoter-308 genes are not related to gout in Chinese patients in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Asia University, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: F-J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: C-M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006073:Gout / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013624:Taiwan; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4