title: IL-6 receptor, IL-8 receptor and TNF-alpha238 (G/A) polymorphisms are not associated with Behçet's disease in patients of German or Turkish origin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association of polymorphisms of the IL-6 receptor gene (+24013A/G:Ala31Ala; +48892 A/C:Asp358Ala), the IL-8 receptor gene (+2607G/C:Ser/Thr IL-8RA), and TNF-alpha 238 (G/A) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with Behçet's disease in patients of German or Turkish origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA was extracted from blood samples taken from patients in Germany (n=93) and Turkey (n=28), as well as from 51 German and 20 Turkish healthy controls. The polymorphisms were analysed by PCR with the LightCycler system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant association was found between TNF-alpha 238, +2607 IL-8RA, +48892 IL-6R or +24013 IL-6R- polymorphisms and nationality or disease. Statistically there was no difference between the patients and controls (TNF-alpha 238: p = 0.86; +2607 IL-8RA: p=0.23; +48892 IL-6R: p=0.087; +24013 IL-6R: p = 0.80) nor between Germans and Turks (TNF-alpha 238: p=0.13; +2607 IL-8RA: p=0.68; +48892 IL-6R: p=0.32; +24013 IL-6R: p=0.65).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The single nucleotide polymorphisms of the IL-6 and IL-8 receptor genes and the TNF-alpha gene analysed here do not appear to be associated with Behçet's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, Ottfried-Muller-Strasse 10, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Storz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Löffler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vonthein
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zouboulis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fresko
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kötter
mesh_terms: D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D053700:Receptors, Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D014421:Turkey; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D053700:Receptors, Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha