title: Association of tumor necrosis factor alpha gene polymorphism G-308A with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma in the Pakistani population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene polymorphism G-308A and total serum immunoglobulin E (TsIgE) levels in the onset of pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG) in Pakistani patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The TNF-alpha polymorphism G-308A was analyzed in 122 patients with PEXG and 126 healthy unrelated controls by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). TsIgE levels were determined by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AA and GA genotypes were strongly associated with PEXG (p<0.001), with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.07 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.02-0.27) and 0.24 (95% CI=0.12-0.51), respectively, while the GG genotype was found at a higher frequency in controls as compared to patients (p<0.001) OR=8.95 (95% CI=4.55-17.81). No significant difference was found in TsIgE levels of both patients and controls (p=0.86).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study concludes that the TNF-alpha polymorphism G-308A is strongly associated with PEXG. To our knowledge this is the first study in southeast Asia which demonstrates a strong association of a TNF-alpha polymorphism with PEXG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Imran
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Shazia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Micheal
authors.forename: Noreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.forename: Anneke I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: den Hollander
authors.forename: Asifa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Raheel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qamar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007073:Immunoglobulin E