Association of COX2 functional polymorphisms and the risk of vitiligo in Chinese populations.
BACKGROUND
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) plays an important role in the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which is made by epidermal keratinocytes in response to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). PGE2 is important for the proliferation and melanogenesis of epidermal melanocytes, the loss of which leads to vitiligo. COX2-1195A>G, -765G>C, and -8473T>C polymorphisms may influence the mRNA levels of COX2 and affect the production of PGE2 subsequently. Therefore, we supposed that these polymorphisms may be associated with vitiligo.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to elucidate the association between three functional COX2 polymorphisms and the risk of vitiligo.


METHODS
This was a hospital-based, case-control study of 755 vitiligo patients and 774 vitiligo-free controls who were frequency matched by age and sex. We genotyped COX2-1195A>G, -765G>C, and -8473T>C polymorphisms by using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method and assessed their respective associations with the risk of vitiligo in Han Chinese populations.


RESULTS
We found a statistically significant increased risk of vitiligo to be associated with the COX2-1195 G variant allele (p=0.004). Significantly higher vitiligo risks were found among subgroups with these characteristics: age >20 years, male, active, nonsegmental vitiligo, and onset age >20 years. In addition, the interaction between COX2-1195 and COX2-8473 was statistically significant (p=0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
For the first time, we provide evidence that functional polymorphisms in the COX2 gene may influence the risk of vitiligo in Han Chinese populations, suggesting new clues that help to clarify the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Larger studies are needed to verify these findings.
Li
Miao
M
Department of Dermatology of Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Gao
Ying
Y
Li
Chunying
C
Liu
Ling
L
Li
Kai
K
Gao
Lin
L
Wang
Gang
G
Zhang
Zhengdong
Z
Gao
Tianwen
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D004247:DNA; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D015232:Dinoprostone