title: Tumor necrosis factor--alpha gene promoter polymorphisms in Chinese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) encompasses a histopathological spectrum of clinical conditions such as simple fatty liver (steatosis), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and a variant that has degrees of fibrosis. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alphalpha) is considered essential for NAFLD. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between TNF-alphalpha gene promoter polymorphism and NAFLD in this human study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The TNF-alpha gene polymorphisms at position -238 and -308 were analyzed in 189 Chinese patients with NAFLD and 138 healthy controls by using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. The serum levels of TNF-alpha in both patient and control groups were measured by ELISA. The associations of TNF-alpha polymorphism and serum TNF-alpha, and/or insulin resistance, and/or clinical features were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The carrier frequencies of TNF-alpha gene polymorphism with G/A mutation at -238 were significantly higher in the patients with NAFLD than those in the control subjects (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the NAFLD patients and control subjects in the polymorphisms at -308 (p > 0.05). In addition, the serum level of TNF-alpha was markedly higher in the patients with NAFLD than in the control subjects (p < 0.05). There were significant associations between TNF-alpha gene polymorphism in the -238 A allele and increased serum TNF-alpha, insulin resistance, as well as increased body mass index in the NAFLD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that the TNF-alpha gene polymorphism at position -238 is associated with susceptibility of nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Chinese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Diseases, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, GuangZhou Medical College, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hong-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ying-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jia-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xi-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Yu-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha