Pro-inflammatory cytokine genes influence the clinical features of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
Recent studies suggested a role for pro-inflammatory mediators in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of functionally active polymorphisms in pro-inflammatory cytokine genes with the occurrence and the clinical features of the disease.


METHODS
Using a case-control study, we compared allelic and genotypic frequencies of several polymorphisms in the interleukin (IL)-1alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha genes between 110 FTLD patients and 119 healthy controls.


RESULTS
No significant association between the examined polymorphisms and the disease was found. However, in comparison with remaining genotypes, patients carrying the T/T genotype of the IL-1beta gene showed a significantly lower age at onset of the disease. In addition, scores of the Frontal Assessment Battery were significantly modified by the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support a role for pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in the pathogenesis of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
Rainero
Innocenzo
I
Neurology II, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, IT-10126 Turin, Italy. irainero@molinette.piemonte.it
Rubino
Elisa
E
Cappa
Giorgetta
G
Rota
Eugenia
E
Valfrè
Walter
W
Ferrero
Patrizia
P
Fenoglio
Pierpaola
P
Baci
Denisa
D
D'Amico
Giuseppina
G
Vaula
Giovanna
G
Gallone
Salvatore
S
Pinessi
Lorenzo
L
D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D003704:Dementia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004247:DNA