TNF-alpha -308 G>A and -238 G>A polymorphisms are not major risk factors in Caucasian patients with exfoliation glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
TNF-alpha has been suggested to participate in the pathogenesis of exfoliation glaucoma (XFG). The purpose of the present study was to investigate a hypothesized association between two common functional polymorphisms in the promoter region of the TNF-alpha gene (TNF-alpha -308 G>A, rs1800629, and TNF-alpha -238 G>A, rs361525) and the presence of XFG in a Caucasian population.


METHODS
The present case-control study comprised 408 participants (204 patients with XFG and 204 control subjects). Control subjects were matched for age and sex. Genotypes of the TNF-alpha -308 G>A and TNF-alpha -238 G>A polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction (restriction fragment length polymorphism).


RESULTS
No significant differences regarding genotype distribution or allelic frequencies were found between patients and control subjects (p>0.025). The presence of the TNF-alpha -308 G-allele was associated with an insignificant odds ratio of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.66-1.46; p=0.99) while the presence of the TNF-alpha -238 G-allele was associated with an insignificant odds ratio of 0.64 (95% CI: 0.33-1.23; p=0.25).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that both the TNF-alpha -308 G>A and the TNF-alpha -238 G>A polymorphisms are unlikely to be major risk factors for XFG in an European population of Caucasian descent.
Mossböck
Georg
G
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria. g.mossboeck@medunigraz.at
Renner
Wilfried
W
El-Shabrawi
Yosuf
Y
Faschinger
Christoph
C
Schmut
Otto
O
Wedrich
Andreas
A
Zimmermann
Christina
C
Weger
Martin
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha