title: The polymorphism -863C/A in tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene contributes an independent association to gout.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the associations between polymorphisms in the promoter of the tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) gene and gout.
  
  
  METHODS
  The polymorphisms -308G/A and -863C/A in the TNF-alpha gene were determined in 106 gout patients and 159 healthy controls among male Taiwanese using the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The biochemical markers, including Glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), uric acid, creatinine, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), body mass index (BMI) and hypertension, as well as alcohol consumption were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The gout patients had 9.43% (10/106) with genotype AA at polymorphism -863C/A showing a significantly higher fraction than controls (0.63%; 1/159, P < 0.001). The crude results also showed that the gout patients had significantly higher portions of abnormal GOT, GPT, creatinine, TC, TG, alcohol consumption, hypertension and hyperuricaemia than controls (P < 0.05), but the -308G/A, BMI and genotype CA at -863C/A did not show the same significant difference (P > 0.05). After adjustment by a stepwise logistic regression method, the hyperuricaemia, creatinine, GPT, TG and alcohol consumption as well as genotype AA at polymorphism -863C/A were found to be significantly associated with gout.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The genotype AA at polymorphism -863C/A in a recessive model showed a significant association with developing gout independent of hyperuricaemia, abnormal creatinine, higher TG, GPT and alcohol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan. changsj@kmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: S-J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: P-C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: C-J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H-M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006073:Gout / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014280:Triglycerides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003404:Creatinine; D000410:Alanine Transaminase