title: Tumor necrosis factor alpha-308 gene polymorphism in patients with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a principal cytokine that may induce weight loss. TNF-alpha -308 G to A polymorphism increases transcription of TNF-alpha in vitro. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TNF-alpha gene promoter polymorphism at position -308 (G to A substitution) is one of the factors playing a role in the development of anorexia nervosa (AN). Sixteen patients with AN, aged 11-20 years, were included in this study, and 5/16 (31%) patients had TNF-alpha -308 G/A genotype. In the control group, 12/174 (7%) had -308 G/A genotype. There was a significant statistical difference between the patient and control groups (p=0.007). The minimum body mass index (BMI) values ever recorded for each patient during the course of the disease were significantly higher in the five patients with TNF-alpha -308 G to A polymorphism (p= 0.003). TNF-alpha gene promoter polymorphism at position -308 might be associated with a predisposition to AN and initiate the disease. The protective mechanisms that affect clinical manifestation of the disease may be related with other anti-inflammatory cytokines or immunologic mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nuray
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanbur
authors.forename: Lütfiye
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mesci
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Derman
authors.forename: Tuğba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Turul
authors.forename: Füsun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuhadaroğlu
authors.forename: Tezer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kutluk
authors.forename: Ilhan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tezcan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha